Filipino products are known world-wide to be amazing, and some to be unique. But let us limit the description to food-related products, as there are just too many categories of incredible Filipino products. While Filipino cuisine may not be as popular as fellow Asian food like Chinese and Japanese, the variety and uniqueness of some food products always surprise food enthusiasts, gourmets, chefs, and a lot of others. Both locals and foreigners alike. Filipino products like bagoong, sinamak, atchara, and patis, are some of the more unique and almost exclusive local specialities.
Take spiced vinegar for example. Every region has their version of spiced vinegar, and a corresponding name given to it. In Iloilo, it is called sinamak. It is a staple dipping sauce in almost every household and eatery in the region. And it has reached other regions as well, as it is the more popular spiced vinegar around. Recipes for the Filipino product vary, but main ingredients are chillies, garlic, and ginger. Even the vinegar used varies, depending on the region and tastes. But given that Filipinos love the sour flavor (asim), any vinegar will do. You can choose from sugar cane vinegar, coconut vinegar, or palm vinegar. Sukang maasim , sukang Iloko, sukang paombong, and sukang tuba, are among the most popular used all over the country. These are unique to the Philippines, as compared to the foreign types like white vinegar, apple cider, balsamic, malt, wine, raisin vinegar, and so on.
Many chefs and cooks all over the world use vinegar for cooking, and for salad dressings. But Filipinos love it as a dipping sauce for pork skin rinds (chicharon), barbecues (inihaw), egg rolls (lumpia), and other food products. This is what makes it unique, other nations will use catsup, mayo, mustard, barbecue sauce, sweet and sour sauce, etc., for their dips. Filipino tastes have been influenced by other cuisines, particularly Spanish and Chinese, but in general, Filipino food products and delicacies are uniquely Filipino.
They say that anywhere in the world you will find a Filipino, be that true or not, surely wherever they are, their taste for Filipino food and products will not wane. Of course there are those who were born abroad, but if their parents kept to their customs and traditions, they would have experienced certain Filipino dishes like adobo, lechon, nilaga, kare-kare, or delicacies such as bibingka, puto, halo-halo, and some others. While it is true that some tastes are acquired, most Filipinos would not refuse bagoong, sinamak, atchara, for the right time and accompaniment. Truly unique and amazing products that make Filipinos proud wherever they are.
