[smallbird]

No doubt! Pampanga is the culinary capital of the Philippines. Kapampangan (people of Pampanga) are known for their culinary expertise and it shows in every dish they cook/concoct from their cured meats (like tocino, longganisa tapa), to the elaborate dishes like embutido, kare-kare and morcon and their very own recipes like sisig,camaro and betute.

Please be reminded that I am not a cook or a trained chef nor a food historian just an ordinary Pinoy who boasts of some home-grown Pampanga food/cuisine that you must try.

Sisig is a combination of grilled crunchy pork cheek, chopped and mixed with chicken liver, onions, kalamansi , spiked with fresh chili and served in a sizzling plate. It is best eaten with beer.

Buro is made from fermented rice with fish or small shrimps (locally called balo-balo) served as a side dish for fried or grilled fish and boiled vegetables (eggplant, okra)

Betute is deep-fried frog stuffed ground and seasoned pork.

Kamaru or mole crickets are sautéed in garlic and onion, then roasted dry to a crunch. This is certainly not for the squeamish as when served they looked like big ants or small cockroaches but if you tried those Bangkok bugs, this is nothing!

Burong talangkâ is the fat of salt-preserved talangka (little crabs). This orange paste is not for the health conscious since it is high in cholesterol but very tasty and hard to resist.

Tibuk-tibok is similar to Majablanca( Tagalog sweet delicacy), a delicious pudding-like dessert made of carabao’s milk.

According to the great Kapampangan artist/patriot/writer/cook, Mr. Claude Tayag the most popular Kapampangan restaurants are Razon’s (palabok,now in malls), Aling Lucing Sisig (invented Sisig, Angeles City), Susie’s Cuisine (tibok tibok, Angeles City), Everybody’s Café (kamaru and buro, San Fernand) Cely’s Carenderia (betute, balo balo, Angeles City) but I wouldn’t know if my choices of Kapampangan chain of restaurants in the Metro Manila (Cabalen and Mangan in several shopping malls) will qualify with his standards.