The Philippines

An archipelago nation comprising more than 7,100 islands in the western Pacific Ocean, the Republic of the Philippines is a Southeast Asian country rich with traditional fare as well as European-influenced cuisine.

A favorite local dish, inehow, is a whole fish stuffed with sautéed onion and garlic, tomato-scented rice and patis (a light soy sauce), wrapped in banana leaves and baked in a pit. Indigenous vegetables such as eggplant, taro root and ampalaya (a bitter melon) blend with others introduced from outside countries including tomatoes and squash from Spain and mung beans and some varieties of melons from China.

Filipinos often opt for the cool flavors of vinegar, unripe fruit and tart citrus rather than the spicy, chili-based ingredients of other Asian countries. Coconuts and bananas are frequently added to recipes or enjoyed solo, such as the broiled bacon-wrapped bananas or barbequed banana skewers sold by street vendors. Desserts range from Spanish flan (with added zest of lime or coconut), to fruit mixtures and ice creams, to tarts and fritters.

For beverages, coconuts are often used, whether it’s the fresh sap from a green coconut or fermented for the alcoholic drink, tuba. A variety of fruit drinks are popular any time of the day, but hot chocolate is common at breakfast.—Leska Tomash