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Due to its historic Spanish, Japanese, Malaysian, Chinese, and American influences, Filipino cuisine is considered one of the original fusion cuisines. These dishes are known for their rich, flavorful ingredients that please almost any palate, from sour, salty stews to rich, sweet desserts. Here are five of its principle ingredients you’ll want to add to your culinary repertoire.

5 Staple Ingredients in Filipino Cuisine

1. Coconut

Young coconut, also known as buko, is soft, tender, and used for sweet dishes like buko pie and halo-halo. The flesh of mature coconuts, called niyog, is often used to make coconut milk and as a dessert topping.

2. Rice

Rice is a staple food in Filipino cuisine, and you can find it in dishes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It is generally served alongside main dishes, and leftover rice can be repurposed into sinangag, which is a fried rice that has been cooked with eggs, vegetables, and seafood or meat.

3. Kabocha Squash

filipino cuisine

Kabocha is a sweet, starchy variety of squash that has a range of delicious uses. It’s wonderful in soups and stews, and it holds up well when roasted or grilled. It is used in dishes like pinakbet, which is a stew made with a mix of vegetables steamed in shrimp or fish sauce.

4. Banana Blossoms

Banana blossoms are edible flowers that are about to blossom, like artichokes. When cooked, they have a tender, juicy texture, and they’re used in noodle dishes and stews like kare-kare, which is a meat and vegetable stew served in a savory peanut sauce.

5. Moringa Leaves

Also known as malunggay, this superfood is packed with antioxidants and nutrients. The leaves are the most nutritious part of the plant, offering significant amounts of vitamins B, C, K, manganese, and protein, among others. You can add powdered moringa leaves to smoothies, baked goods, and soups, such as chicken tinola.

 

Food is best enjoyed in good company, and the staff at Four Sisters Kitchen Catering is dedicated to creating a unique, delicious menu for your next event. Based in Wailuku, HI, their catering services include Hawaiian, American, and Filipino cuisine. To learn more about their acclaimed options for your event, call (808) 242-1135, and visit them online to view their full menu.

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