MANILA, Philippines – We’re also not sure why, but a few regional delicacies have landed on the Worst-Rated Filipino Dishes list of Taste Atlas for 2024, with balut (fertilized duck egg) in first place with a 2.7 rating.
In a Facebook post, the international gastronomic database revealed the latest Best-Rated and Worst-Rated rankings of Filipino dishes. The dishes are rated by users from around the world.
Balut, an unconventional Filipino delicacy, holds a unique place in the country’s culinary landscape. Served mostly at street stalls and even upscale restaurants, this dish is a hard-boiled duck egg that has been fertilized and incubated, allowing the embryo to develop before cooking.
Typically enjoyed straight from the shell (soup included), balut is often paired with a cold beer. The dish is versatile, allowing for various seasonings such as chili, garlic, vinegar, salt, lemon juice, and ground black pepper, and can even be incorporated into omelets or used as a savory filling for pastries.
Following balut closely is inipit from Malolos, which ranked second with a rating of 2.9, and pinipig at third. The traditional Filipino dessert biko comes in fourth place with a rating of 3.0, while Bicol’s kinalas is fifth.
At sixth place is pinikpikan from Cordillera, suman at seventh, breakfast fave spamsilog at eighth, kilawin at ninth, and pochero at tenth.
Inipit is a beloved Filipino dessert from Bulacan created by Salome P. De Ramos in the 1940s. This treat features two layers of soft sponge cake, traditionally filled with a creamy, custard-like filling. It is usually sold at local Filipino bakeries.
Pinipig is a crunchy staple made mostly of immature glutinous rice pounded into fine, delicate flakes. Generally light green, subtle in flavor, and dry, pinipig is toasted to a crunchy golden finish. Toasted pinipig flakes are versatile. Among the Filipino dishes it complements include the traditional cookies, candies, and cakes. On the other hand, it is also a tasty garnish on creamy desserts such as halo-halo.
Biko is a popular Filipino dessert renowned for its caramelized, sweet flavor made from glutinous rice, coconut milk, and sugar. The glutinous rice gives biko its signature sticky and chewy consistency.
Bicol’s kinalas, which ranked 17th with a 2.4 rating on Taste Atlas’ list of the Top 100 Worst Dishes in the World in 2023, is a traditional Filipino noodle dish made with a flavorful mix of spices, tender meat scraped from the head of pork or beef, and sometimes enriched with pork or beef brains for added richness.
Pinikpikan is a traditional dish from the Cordillera mountain region. This controversial soup contains chicken and etag, a cured and smoked meat aged in earthen jars. The controversy stems from the way the chicken is prepared: it is gently beaten to death with a stick in a ritual performed by local tribes. The chicken is then simmered with water, etag, and salt until the flavors meld.
Spamsilog is a combination of its primary ingredients: luncheon meat SPAM, garlic fried rice, and fried eggs, while kilawin is a dish made with raw or lightly cooked seafood in vinegar.
Pochero is a flavored derivative of the Spanish puchero. This meaty stew dish is prepared with beef, though variations with chicken or pork are also common. The stew has a rich mixture of ingredients such as tomatoes, onions, garlic, patis (fish sauce), peppercorns, chickpeas, leeks, plantains, potatoes, cabbage, green beans, and bok choy. Pochero must be cooked slowly and steadily such that the meat and vegetables are tender.
In 2023, Taste Atlas included Bicol’s kinalas, hotsilog, balut, and Filipino spaghetti on the same list.
The 47 Worst-Rated Filipino Foods list for 2024 reflects a comprehensive evaluation of 6,250 ratings submitted. The system validated 3,813 as genuine, employing rigorous mechanisms to filter out biased or unreliable inputs, and prioritizing ratings from users deemed knowledgeable to maintain the integrity of their rankings.
Taste Atlas is an international food database that offers an immersive exploration of traditional cuisine. It curates authentic recipes, expert food critic reviews, and research articles about beloved ingredients and dishes. – Zulaikha Palma/Rappler.com
Zulaikha Palma is a Rappler intern studying AB Journalism in the University of Santo Tomas.