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What puts the oyap in oyapman.com? Well oyap (uyap) is
one of my favorite foods in the Philippines. It actually takes
a little getting used to for most. Even for me the taste
turned me off at first and now I can't a week without it and
even have a favorite spot to purchase. A little (gamay)
vegetable/fruit stand on the Dapitan circle heading east on
the National Highway toward Dipolog. I stop every chance I
get and pick up a small amount and a couple of mangas.
Some mangoes are sour (aslom) and there is nothing like
dipping them in the special oyap they sell. Made in Dapitan
This special mix is sweet (tam is) and hot (halang)and
delicious (lami). Oyap is basically tiny shrimp. Salty?
(Parat?) Yes, a little, but not mixed with the sour fruit.
Drooling here now Ginataang oyap is not available
everywhere but a specialty in Zamboanga. A version of
oyap called bagoong is so good when mixed with pork
(baboy) and rice. Now let's talk about balot! (balut!)
one of my favorite foods in the Philippines. It actually takes
a little getting used to for most. Even for me the taste
turned me off at first and now I can't a week without it and
even have a favorite spot to purchase. A little (gamay)
vegetable/fruit stand on the Dapitan circle heading east on
the National Highway toward Dipolog. I stop every chance I
get and pick up a small amount and a couple of mangas.
Some mangoes are sour (aslom) and there is nothing like
dipping them in the special oyap they sell. Made in Dapitan
This special mix is sweet (tam is) and hot (halang)and
delicious (lami). Oyap is basically tiny shrimp. Salty?
(Parat?) Yes, a little, but not mixed with the sour fruit.
Drooling here now Ginataang oyap is not available
everywhere but a specialty in Zamboanga. A version of
oyap called bagoong is so good when mixed with pork
(baboy) and rice. Now let's talk about balot! (balut!)
| What puts the oyap in oyapman.com? |
BALUT or balot, is a very common Pinoy delicacy and available
on most streets throughout the Philippines at different times of
day. Contrary to popular belief balut is duck and not chicken.
The white of the egg is usually hard but edible and the yellow
tastes very much like a very tasty chicken egg yolk. That version
is known as the Pinoy variety and is easily acquired in Manila.
Shown here is a common #16/18 (weeks) and could be easily
mistaken for a hard boiled chicken egg. Balut is innocent enough
looking until opened. These little tasty morsels are available at
various stages of development all the way to 22 weeks and
beyond. At This stage of development the protein enriched
delight is "best eaten in the dark" even according to many Pinoy.
For me maybe a few San Miguel beers would help. The beak and
feathers are developed now. My opinion is "No, thank you" (dili
ko salamat). But I love the #18s. If you want to see some more
balut just double-click on the balut to the left. A 16/18 is very
good but beyond that and, well, just see for yourself.
on most streets throughout the Philippines at different times of
day. Contrary to popular belief balut is duck and not chicken.
The white of the egg is usually hard but edible and the yellow
tastes very much like a very tasty chicken egg yolk. That version
is known as the Pinoy variety and is easily acquired in Manila.
Shown here is a common #16/18 (weeks) and could be easily
mistaken for a hard boiled chicken egg. Balut is innocent enough
looking until opened. These little tasty morsels are available at
various stages of development all the way to 22 weeks and
beyond. At This stage of development the protein enriched
delight is "best eaten in the dark" even according to many Pinoy.
For me maybe a few San Miguel beers would help. The beak and
feathers are developed now. My opinion is "No, thank you" (dili
ko salamat). But I love the #18s. If you want to see some more
balut just double-click on the balut to the left. A 16/18 is very
good but beyond that and, well, just see for yourself.
Rice on every table. Naturally harvested at all times of the year rice is the staple here.
Even the most sumptuous of meals is usually not complete to a Filipino unless there
plenty of rice. When there is a delicious meat dish or fish one can always see a small
portion of protein or vegetable grouped with a clump of the white grain. Whether eaten
with the hands or the very popular table spoon there is usually rice in almost every bite.
Did you notice how many times rice was mentioned? Still not enough rice for a Filipino!
The style of eating with the fingers is very easy since the rice is used to stack everything
before a bite. I've become quite accustomed to using a fork in my left hand only to assist
the table spoon in my right hand to scoop it in. Only seldom does one see the fork being
used to actually skewer something. The fork may hold the piece of meat or fish or
chicken while the tip of the table spoon is used to cut the meat or pull it off the bones
with amazing success. You'll soon realize that it's actually a very easy and simple way
to eat. Jokingly the Pinoy see a fellow Filipino using a fork and say there are "just
visiting from the states".
Dining in the Philippines is a gourmet adventure. The food can be succulent, exotic,
tangy, spicy, sweet, sour, colourful and sometimes a little scary. You can always find
excellent food whether it's from a cramped sidewalk stall (kainan), or elsewhere.
To the unaccustomed palate some foods here may seem somewhat dull at times. Many
seem oddly sweet and very often too salty for most western standards. The taste buds of
most westerners may be a bit taken back by many of the traditional dishes they're used to.
Spaghetti for example is usually 'Pinoy style' and somewhat sweet. Pizza is unlike any
I've had in the states or Europe is once again a bit dull and sweet. Even tacos and
burritos when found here are not like those items by the same name that we grew up with.
Coconut milk or gata is often used as an ingredient in many dishes. Popular dishes are
lumpia (much like egg rolls) or pancit (noodles). And there is seemingly no end to fresh
baked goods. Pork, chicken and beef is served in a myriad of ways. The most famous
dish is lechon (roast pig). Now there are a myriad of dishes and This is just a sample.
Because of its vast coastlines, the Philippines also has an abundance of excellent
seafood. Most restaurants offer seafood cooked one way or another, the most popular
being the broiled inihaw. Shrimp, prawn, crab, oysters, squid and fish and other
seafoods may be acquired for next to nothing. A platter of shrimp is very cheap. Unlike
in the states calamari or squid is available in many different dishes and very affordable.
As a side note, Pinoy can meticulously take the smallest of bones from the fish as they eat
not to mention the fact that a favorite part of fish is the juice around the eyes.
What is known as "native" restaurants are all over the place. These range is size from
tiny to huge establishments that sell typical Filipino dishes like chicken and pork BBQ
served on a coconut leaf with a side of sweet and sour papaya. Humba, minudo, adobo,
canton, these are all terms known in nearly every eating place and household here.
Humba is a pork in a sweet garlic and onion soy sauce. Menudo in Mexico involves the
stomach lining or tripe while here 'minudo' is a sort of semi-sweet beef stew. Adobo
dishes are usually cooked with garlic and onions and a sauté made from soy sauce and
other ingredients. Chicken liver adobo and buttered fried chicken are favorites here.
Organ foods such as livers and hearts are popular and there is not one part of a chicken,
pig, cow or caribou that doesn't get used in one way or the other. Some dishes you'll
never find served in the U.S. may be diniguan or which is basically the intestines of a pig
chopped up and cooked with blood. While protein rich the taste takes a little getting
used to and even the appearance may turn off most non-Filipinos.
Fresh tropical fruits and vegetables are in large variety and quantity but domestic types
of fruits and vegetables are a different story. At least here on Mindanao vegetables such
as lettuce, onions, tomatoes, etc are usually very small and expensive.
Driving the mountain highways I know just where and what time of year to get marang,
melon, rambutan, mangoes (the best in the world I might add), bananas, mangosteen,
lanzones, rambutan, marang and on and on.. Coconut is everywhere but is a bit different
than most in the U.S. It is softer and sweeter and used in many different ways and recipes.
It's always good to find the local specialties. One area may boast a special type of desert
like bud bud (sticky rice stick wrapped in banana leaves) while another area is famous
for pastelles which are baked rolls stuffed with a sweet cheese or it may be fruit or main
dish etc. Make the effort to ask a local what to get at the market.
Sadly, chain restaurants are in no short supply here. In the larger cities like Manila or
Cebu you could go to a world class mall with food court and sit in a Starbucks. Even
Ozamiz has McDonalds, Dunkin Donuts, and the local chains such as Jollibee's and
Greenwich Pizza. Rumors of other places coming soon are plentiful.
All in all dining in the Philippines is much cheaper than in the states or the rest of the
western world at least when it comes to the variety, quality and quantity of foods.
Even the most sumptuous of meals is usually not complete to a Filipino unless there
plenty of rice. When there is a delicious meat dish or fish one can always see a small
portion of protein or vegetable grouped with a clump of the white grain. Whether eaten
with the hands or the very popular table spoon there is usually rice in almost every bite.
Did you notice how many times rice was mentioned? Still not enough rice for a Filipino!
The style of eating with the fingers is very easy since the rice is used to stack everything
before a bite. I've become quite accustomed to using a fork in my left hand only to assist
the table spoon in my right hand to scoop it in. Only seldom does one see the fork being
used to actually skewer something. The fork may hold the piece of meat or fish or
chicken while the tip of the table spoon is used to cut the meat or pull it off the bones
with amazing success. You'll soon realize that it's actually a very easy and simple way
to eat. Jokingly the Pinoy see a fellow Filipino using a fork and say there are "just
visiting from the states".
Dining in the Philippines is a gourmet adventure. The food can be succulent, exotic,
tangy, spicy, sweet, sour, colourful and sometimes a little scary. You can always find
excellent food whether it's from a cramped sidewalk stall (kainan), or elsewhere.
To the unaccustomed palate some foods here may seem somewhat dull at times. Many
seem oddly sweet and very often too salty for most western standards. The taste buds of
most westerners may be a bit taken back by many of the traditional dishes they're used to.
Spaghetti for example is usually 'Pinoy style' and somewhat sweet. Pizza is unlike any
I've had in the states or Europe is once again a bit dull and sweet. Even tacos and
burritos when found here are not like those items by the same name that we grew up with.
Coconut milk or gata is often used as an ingredient in many dishes. Popular dishes are
lumpia (much like egg rolls) or pancit (noodles). And there is seemingly no end to fresh
baked goods. Pork, chicken and beef is served in a myriad of ways. The most famous
dish is lechon (roast pig). Now there are a myriad of dishes and This is just a sample.
Because of its vast coastlines, the Philippines also has an abundance of excellent
seafood. Most restaurants offer seafood cooked one way or another, the most popular
being the broiled inihaw. Shrimp, prawn, crab, oysters, squid and fish and other
seafoods may be acquired for next to nothing. A platter of shrimp is very cheap. Unlike
in the states calamari or squid is available in many different dishes and very affordable.
As a side note, Pinoy can meticulously take the smallest of bones from the fish as they eat
not to mention the fact that a favorite part of fish is the juice around the eyes.
What is known as "native" restaurants are all over the place. These range is size from
tiny to huge establishments that sell typical Filipino dishes like chicken and pork BBQ
served on a coconut leaf with a side of sweet and sour papaya. Humba, minudo, adobo,
canton, these are all terms known in nearly every eating place and household here.
Humba is a pork in a sweet garlic and onion soy sauce. Menudo in Mexico involves the
stomach lining or tripe while here 'minudo' is a sort of semi-sweet beef stew. Adobo
dishes are usually cooked with garlic and onions and a sauté made from soy sauce and
other ingredients. Chicken liver adobo and buttered fried chicken are favorites here.
Organ foods such as livers and hearts are popular and there is not one part of a chicken,
pig, cow or caribou that doesn't get used in one way or the other. Some dishes you'll
never find served in the U.S. may be diniguan or which is basically the intestines of a pig
chopped up and cooked with blood. While protein rich the taste takes a little getting
used to and even the appearance may turn off most non-Filipinos.
Fresh tropical fruits and vegetables are in large variety and quantity but domestic types
of fruits and vegetables are a different story. At least here on Mindanao vegetables such
as lettuce, onions, tomatoes, etc are usually very small and expensive.
Driving the mountain highways I know just where and what time of year to get marang,
melon, rambutan, mangoes (the best in the world I might add), bananas, mangosteen,
lanzones, rambutan, marang and on and on.. Coconut is everywhere but is a bit different
than most in the U.S. It is softer and sweeter and used in many different ways and recipes.
It's always good to find the local specialties. One area may boast a special type of desert
like bud bud (sticky rice stick wrapped in banana leaves) while another area is famous
for pastelles which are baked rolls stuffed with a sweet cheese or it may be fruit or main
dish etc. Make the effort to ask a local what to get at the market.
Sadly, chain restaurants are in no short supply here. In the larger cities like Manila or
Cebu you could go to a world class mall with food court and sit in a Starbucks. Even
Ozamiz has McDonalds, Dunkin Donuts, and the local chains such as Jollibee's and
Greenwich Pizza. Rumors of other places coming soon are plentiful.
All in all dining in the Philippines is much cheaper than in the states or the rest of the
western world at least when it comes to the variety, quality and quantity of foods.
oyapman.com loves Pinoy dishes
