Top 10 Pinoy Foods that OFWs Miss the Most

PEBA, Inc. (Pinoy Expats/OFW Blog Awards) made a survey on their Facebook page, asking OFWs to share which Pinoy foods they miss the most. The participants were also requested to post their location, just to check whether the OFW’s location has relevance in the food that he/she misses the most.

After 9+ hours, we’ve sorted through 320+ comments to check the data we were able to gather.

Not surprisingly, people who live in countries were pork is prohibited were ‘shouting out’ how much they miss pork – not a specific pork dish but any pork dish. For example:

Alven Caynila B A B O Y —–> KSA

Shalie Marcial Baboy-ksa

Anyway, here are the top 10 Pinoy foods that OFWs miss the most.

1. Sinigang

Sinigang_na_Baboy

By ??? ??? from San Francisco, California, USA (Sinigang na Baboy) [CC-BY-2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

A lot of OFW posted pork dishes, but sinigang (especially baboy) simply tops the list. For example:

Cesar Gobilab Sinigang na baboy

Bhanene Kilayco Eneria Sinigang sa gabe favorite qo yon e..AMMAN JORDAN:)

Marie Kris Sinigang n baboy-qatar

Sinigang is actually neck-to-neck with adobong baboy in the ‘competition’. In fact, there were those who posted both dishes as their favorite.

Melcris Fernandez Catapang adobong baboy ,sinigang na baboy bsta my karning baboy…SAUDI ARABIA dammam city .

Lehmoj C Corpuz Adobong baboy at sinigang na complate recado jeddh

2. Adobo

Pork_adobo

By Obsidian Soul (Own work) [CC0], via Wikimedia Commons

This is not surprising, considering that adobo is a favorite Pinoy dish. It is often served in any kind of occasion.

Examples of OFWs who favored adobong baboy:

Aphriljay Olarve Inihaw na daing, at nagmamantikang adobong baboy hehe. Al madinah Saudi

Elena Moreno adobong baboy!!!

Ineed Younow Adobong kangkong nmy halong alamang.. at kaning mais!..ksa.

3. Ginataan

Gatanggulay

By Ramon FVelasquez (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

Many OFWs miss ginataan dishes – whether ginataang gulay, ginataang manok, ginataang puso ng saging, ginataang seafood, ginataang langka, etc. For example:

Ann Benosa Palomar Ginataang seafood…dubai

Lisa Dangalan Cruspero Inihaw na TILAPYANG TALISAY…. AT GINATAANG TILAPYA.. Hong Kong

Lilia Oyardo ginataang manok na native. Kuwai

May-ann Espabilla ginataang dahon ng balinghoy na sariwa na madaming sili,from jeddah saudi Arabia

This was the funniest ginataan answer…

Bobby Flores ginataang niyog…haha…ksa

…only for this to appear down the comment line:

Jane Bel-ida Madjos Binasa ko lahat ng comments ayon gutom na aq..ginataang niyog meron nmn tlga ah…sa amin sa ozamis ung malunggay at buko tpos lagyan ng gata masarap kya un

4. Tuyo

Photo credit: Baron the Explorer

Photo credit: Baron the Explorer

This dish closely tails ginataan; although most of those who posted tuyo paired it with another dish. Examples are:

Carandang Careen Alamang n may halong taba ng baboy,nilagang baboy,tuyo.hipon,pusit,alimasag,,,,Dammam

Dhea Reblando Tuyo ,sinigang na isda….saudi

Julie Dalogdog Gusto kng kainin tuyo at saka bagoong n my sili at saka saging balanghoy camote biko 5yrs n hndi m mkakain nyan nandto m jubail damam

5. Inihaw

Chiangmai_grilled_fish_thanin_market

By Takeaway (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 or GFDL], via Wikimedia Commons

Various inihaw dishes also appeared several times on the survey’s comment’s section:

Norma Patiag Diningdeng n labong saluyot n my sahog n inihaw n bangos, laeng n malagkit n gabe…at diningdeng n mais na may bulaklak ng kalabasa. Chalap! Nkakamiss..dubai

Paul Flores Barcillano karneng baboy lalo n ung inihaw sawsaw sa toyo n may kalamansi at sili..

Marivel Taroma Inihaw n talong at tilapia,cnigang n bngus,pakbet,tinapa,bulalo,papaitan,dinendeng,ginataang laing,inihaw n baboy,tinolang mnok…Taiwan

6. Bagoong

Photo credit: angsarap.net

Photo credit: angsarap.net

We, Filipinos, really love ‘weird’ food. So, it is not surprising that bagoong is listed in the top 10! Examples are:

Kate Vic Molejon Nilagang saging na may may maanghang n bagoong_saudi

Nahilam Positivity Bagoong na luto ng nanay ko. Ras al khaimah po

Emilia Agamao Marcos Bagoong na may sili at inihaw na tilapia ..kuwait

Renzkiey Almanon Padasas busog n ako dami pla food d2, bagoong n hipon n my baboy! UAE

7. Kamote

talbos ng kamote

Did you know that kamote beat lechon on this list? LOL

Emma Daguing Fuerte Laswang talong na maliliit at talbos kamote lagyan kamates sebuyas at kalamansi halo sa bagoong ..bahrain

Apollo Sta Maria Talbos ng kamote(italia)

Mg Kimi Saging at kamote.. Abu dhabi.

Jane Bel-ida Madjos salad na talbos ng kamote at ginataang puso ng saging ♡Bahrain

8. Lechon

Lechon

By BrokenSphere (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 or GFDL], via Wikimedia Commons

I was expecting lechon to be far up the list, but OFWs surprised me with their choices. Well, perhaps because roasted pork is really available in most areas, other than in KSA, anyway. Examples are:

Liberty Minioza Lechon…Dubai

Mhay Sison Lechon baboy…

Audrey Baloca lechon baboy….kuwait

9. Balot

balot

Balot is also a favorite. It is something really very Pinoy, a rare treat to use for dares (such as Manny Pacquiao daring David Blaine to eat balot! but we think the magician managed to simply create the illusion of eating ballot then…shhhh)

Anyway, examples of OFWs who chose balot are:

Rodisa Rosel Corpuz Dhang Balot! (Lebanon)

Myla Castillo Dionio Ochave Balot;;hongkong

Lilian Gasellos balot, tuyo, daing (bawal mgluto ng dried fish smen sa flat), chowking siomai (iba lasa ng siomai dito), ginisang ampalaya n may itlog (yung hnd mapait kc c papa lng nakakaluto nun) tsaka street foods – Dubai

10. Dinuguan

Dinuguan

By GracinhaMarco Abundo (Dinuguan) [CC-BY-2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

The top 10 spot on the OFWs’ list belongs to the dinuguan. Examples are:

Honey Lou Dinuguan.at pinakbet…Uae Dubai

Jennifer Artucilla Calaguas Dinuguan at puto (Saudi Arabia)

Jade Iligan Dinuguan at inihaw n liempo Riyadh

Elvira Buhat Dinuguan n may halong young coconut.

How about you? What food do you miss the most? Or if you are in the Philippines, which of these are your favorites?

You can check the survey here.

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