Please insert SPICE

When everybody claims to have a sweet tooth, Bicolanos claim to have better. What could be better than sweets, you ask? One that sizzles!

Known for an opulent culture, the Bicol region has been especially noted to have that special taste for food. We are noted for our abundance of seafood, coconut milk and pilinuts; but what really catapulted us into the world of food lovers would be our original trademark– thesili.

Sili or ‘chili pepper’ is a popular spice which originated from Americas.  The term ‘pepper’ was coined by European explorer Christopher Columbus. He based it from the Piper genus, a famous flavor in Europe for having a spicy hot taste unlike other foods.

We (Bicolano’s)  simply adore how sili spices up our food: we love it with gata or coconut milk, we love it with vinegar,we love it sautéed, and with pretty much everything. Oh – and did I mention that we love spicy food? Don’t get me wrong, we eat from a wide menu of different international flavors, but we simply favor those with that special flavor.

It has been such a known trait that even old people say that if you can’t stand spicy food, then you’re not a true-blue Bicolano.

Can you imagine all those mouthwatering delicacies? Here’s a list of dishes that pinned our region to a visible place on the country’s food map.  Make sure you try them when you visit Bicol.

Pinangat, popularly known as laing, is an original Bicolano specialty. This dish is a blend of taro leaves, chili, meat and coconut milk. It is usually served wrapped in gabi leaves and tied securely with coconut leaf.  A festival is also named after this dish. Pinangat Festival originated in Camalig, Albay and the festival is celebrated during summer. (Wikipedia.com)

Bicol Express is another palate teaser. It is a stew made from long chilies (silingmahaba in Tagalog, ladapanjang in Malay/Indonesian), coconut milk,shrimp paste or stockfish, onion, pork, and garlic. It is said to have evolved from gulayna may lada, another Bicolano dish which is nowadays presented as one of the many variants of Bicol Express.  (Wikipedia.com)

Sili Ice cream.This is the first of its kind. Have you ever imagined tasting spicy dessert? Well, your search ends here. The 1st Colonial Grill is the only restaurant in Bicol that offers this one of a kind creation. Confusion of taste will attack when you scrape sample off the surface. Will it taste sweet or chili? Its creamy goodness would give you a hint of what to taste first. 
When the its tenderness reach your taste bud, the sweetness of vanilla will automatically capture your pallet. Then as you carefully savor it, the spice will burst out. It will surely supply your cravings for sweet and spicy dessert. 

Want some? J

Photocredits: rasagrafikamanila.blogspot.com