Cebuano Cuisine

The love for food can bring you to a journey of endless possibilities. Delicious food is a matter of personal choice and preference. However, the adventurous kind often discovers more than the usual new tastes and flavours of food, but also learns to appreciate the new cultures and ways of life of where the food was lovingly prepared.

Travel and food go hand in hand in many ways. When you travel to new places, there is the same exploration for the locals’ delicacies and food staples. Discovering new food is indeed like finding a secret treasure you are bound to share because of its goodness. Travelling brings that wonderful excitement, as food adventures offer the same warm and exhilarating feel.

Food prepared in the islands are often embraced by many tourists especially those living in the mainland. The food preparation alone for island foods is an extraordinary treat and a unique experience. The flavourful and tingling aroma of unusual mixes of herbs and spices leave the tourist or any local wanting to devour any well-prepared dish cooked in the islands.

The currency used in Cebu is the same currency that is used all over the Philippines, its mother country. This is the Philippine peso. One peso is divided into a hundred centavos. There are coins for 5, 10 and 25 cents, as well as for 1, 5 and 10 pesos. There are bills for 20, 50, 100, 500 and 1,000 pesos. As of early August 2009, the value of a single peso was equivalent to 0.013 British pounds, 0.015 Euro and 0.021 US dollars. Depending where you are or who you deal with, you will find that prices for foreigners are much higher than for locals. In this sense, be careful when riding taxis. Always make sure that the driver is using his taxi metre in charging you a fee. Tipping is a practice in Cebu, though in not so large amounts. A typical restaurant tip would be at least 20 pesos. Some restaurants include a 20% service fee in the bill.

Cebuanos are generally regarded as “hard to please” people, but this is not exactly true. Cebuanos simply want to make sure that they have the best value for their money, and they show it in their purchase decisions. For example, when a Cebuano attends a concert, he or she wants to make sure that the entertainment he gets is worth the ticket price. Even if the artist may happen to be his favourite, if his performance seems mediocre for a ticket priced at 1,500 pesos or more, than the Cebuano audience will not be pleased. This is why Cebu is known to be the test ground that will show the true measure of a celebrity’s success. Having said thus, Cebuanos will willingly pay hundreds for a buffet that will endlessly pleasure and immensely satisfy their taste buds.

As you walk the streets of Cebu, you will find locals hurriedly walking in the streets to catch a ride or speeding in their cars to beat a yellow traffic light. One thing is common in many such scenes: thumbs busy typing away on mobile phones. In a country where approximately one out of every two citizens subscribes to a mobile phone service provider, it is not rare to see people sending out text messages or SMS. In fact, it can be quite common for people to own two cell phones, subscribing to two different service providers. This penchant for “texting” has grown to such huge numbers that the Philippines has become known as one of the countries that send the most number of text messages a day. Such a reputation once earned the Philippines a reputation for being the “text capital of the world.”

The huge traffic of SMS travelling from cell phone to cell phone has forced – or, rather, enticed – service providers to levy a one-peso fee for every message sent. However, there are certain deals that allow people to send an unlimited number of messages within a period of days for a fixed fee. These deals have allowed the texting craze to continue, so much that during Christmas Eve, New Year’s Eve and the Sinulog feast, text messages get stuck and arrive only hours after they are sent. If you happen to pass by the province of Lilo-an, you will see a street sign that says, “No texting while crossing the street.” Signs like this are evidence of the way mobile phones have become inculcated into the Philippine culture. You can also expect Cebuanos to pass around jokes regarding nationwide events involving politicians and celebrities, no matter how serious the matter may be.

Alongside the famous “lechon” (roasted pig) and “puso” (hanging rice), two things stand out as iconic tourist magnets for Cebu: Sinulog and beaches. These two emblems exude the youthful vibrancy than can be found without fail all over the island. The Sinulog is a festival that occurs on every third Sunday of January. It is held in honour of the Santo Nino of Cebu. In the week before the Sinulog, Cebu’s streets effuse with symbols of liveliness, heritage and devotion: “banderitas” (colourful stringed flags) flutter above the streets, bazaar stalls line the sidewalks, open-air concerts fill the Fuente Rotunda and huge posters or replicas of historic Cebuano spots adorn roadsides and corners.

On the day itself, the citizens pour out into the streets, rich and poor alike. Tourists from all over the Philippines and the world flock to Cebu for the Sinulog, too. The norm of the day is walking – vehicles can barely make their way through throngs of revellers. Massive, decorated floats parade in the streets, as well as numerous dancers with painted bodies and creative costumes. It is not rare for the onlookers themselves to get their faces painted and to continue partying past midnight, even till the wee hours of dawn. After all, every Monday following the Sinulog is an official rest day for Cebuanos, meaning there are no classes and, for some, no work. Beaches can be found to the north, south, east and west of Cebu. In short, there are immense choices for an intimate weekend getaway or a fun party. It is common practice to hop from island to island on a wooden, motor-powered boat. There are beaches that have soft, pure white sand, especially in the south and in nearby islands. There are also plenty of opportunities for snorkelling, scuba diving and fishing.

Are you looking for a unique piece to decorate your home with? If so, then you can find the perfect ornaments here in Cebu. Here, you will find handmade crafts that add a pleasing, interesting touch to your home – crafts that may be too expensive or even non-existent in your home country. One of the symbols of Philippine life is the “nipa” hut. Traditionally, this house made of bamboo sticks and “nipa” leaves served as the abode of Filipinos. Of course, time has brought modern home structures to urban areas. However, Filipinos never forget their roots. So, today, the traditional hut has found its way in many houses and commercial establishments in the form of a wooden gazebo. In Cebu, you will find such gazebos – made of hardwood, with built-in seats – for sale at reasonable prices. You can find these in places like Busay and Mactan. They can beautifully serve as a focal point in your garden back home.

However, if you are looking for ornaments that are much easier to transport, you can find them here, too. Whether you choose to look in the mall, by the sea or in the various surrounding towns, you will find many items that can serve as furniture, décor or both. You will find spoons, ukuleles, guitars, bowls, mirrors, lanterns, door frames, curtains, wind chimes and a whole lot more. These may seem to be ordinary items, but any person who lays eyes on them immediately understands why there are so precious. They combine exquisitely carved, rich wood with materials like vibrant, elegant capiz shells, once again attesting to the harmony between mountains and seas. They are also crafted by hand, making them superior both in quality and in beauty.

If you want a respite from the frozen goods sections of walled-in supermarkets, then Cebu has a fantastic alternative for you. You will never find yourself at a loss for the freshest produce here. All over Cebu, you can find markets that abound with the greenest vegetables and the most succulent fruits. You can find prime poultry, cattle and farm products, as well as batches of seafood freshly caught from the sea, all at the best prices. This is the advantage of being a province nestled in between mountains and bodies of water. If you are looking for a place in Cebu where you can buy food ingredients in their top form at low prices, then you can ask around for directions to the best local market, be it in the city or in the surrounding towns. Almost anyone on the street will know where open-air markets or “wet markets” are. When you reach the place, you will find numerous stalls with vendors calling out their wares. You will also be greeted – nay, assaulted – by the various odours of beef, pork, poultry and fish.

For the inexperienced, one might have the instinct to go back to the safe, predictable confines of cold supermarkets, which is absolutely nothing wrong with doing so. Not many tourists dare venture amidst these stalls, but those who do find ultimate rewards – the undeniable freshness of the food ingredients; the adventure of truly immersing in local culture. You must learn to haggle a bit when you explore local wet markets. You should also compare prices from stall to stall, and let vendors know if you have found a better price from another seller in the market. Be sure to watch the scales with which the sellers weigh your purchases.

There are times when dining predictable places can be a boring routine. If you are looking for exotic and different places to fulfil that adventurous streak, then why not try one of the following out-of-the-ordinary places of Cebu dining.

You have not felt Cebu if you have not eaten in Larsian Fuente Osmeña. Amidst the smoke-filled dining area of the place, one can enjoy the cheap grilled food available 24 hours of the day. If you are on a budget and want the sweet-style barbecue pork or chicken, you will definitely find Larsian the place to be. Unfortunately, the place is very public and may not be suitable for people who may be bringing precious belongings or for people allergic to smoke.

Larsian, Fuente Osmeña, Cebu City

Just beside Larsian is the ubiquitous Siomai sa Tisa. Each pork dumpling costs six pesos, and with a serving of 3 and a cup of rice, it is already a respectable meal. Even if Siomai sa Tisa originated in Tisa, Labangon, many siomai stores still use the place to perhaps advertise to the public that their siomais are good and delicious. Siomai is a great snack treat too, especially for those who are on a tight meal budget.

larsian-siomai

Other extraordinary dining nooks are shawarma places of Cebu. Although most shawarma places are found in malls, there is really no proper dining setup for these roasted beef and pita sandwiches. Shawarma is not a local concoction. In fact, this food is a Middle Eastern delicacy but has Filipinos wanting for more. Previously, many shawarma stands flooded the metropolis. Its tangy garlic sauce and onion add-ons are pure heaven to shawarma enthusiasts. Unfortunately, those shawarma shops that have successfully thrived have gone from a dozen to a handful. Still, one must try these wonderful pita sandwiches while standing. Just be careful not to get your hands soaked in the garlic sauces. Otherwise, you will end up licking them because even the sauce is great!