[nextpage title=”16 Cebu Delicacies You Shouldn’t Miss”]Craving for something delicious for your taste buds while in Cebu? Or going home after a Cebu escapade and looking for some nice treats to bring for family, friends and loved ones? Here are 16 Cebu delicacies to choose from:

1. Lechon

Fiestas, holidays or any kind of parties in the Philippines would not be complete without the lechon or roasted pig, and the best ones are found in Cebu. Locals and foreign tourists line up to the bountiful stores and diners offering lechon in the city which is regarded as the “Lechon Capital in the World”.

Proven to be the home of the tastiest, wealthy people throughout the country make orders in Cebu just to get the most delectable lechon to put on their dining tables. The towns of Carcar and Talisay are considered the most prominent producer of lechon while stores like Zubuchon, CnT, Chona’s and Ayers are some of the crowd’s favorites. What makes Cebu lechon distinctive? It’s all in the taste of herbs and spices stuffed on the roasted pig plus a secret ingredient.

Editor’s Note: To view Cebu delicacies on this list, simply browse through the page numbers below.

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2. Danggit

Dried fish is one of Filipino’s favorite appetite boosters. A breakfast delight served in many restaurants all over the country. In Cebu, the most famous dried fish among tourists and locals is danggit which usually comes from rabbitfish or spinefoot. It is best eaten when it’s fresh from the pan where it is fried to its crispiest; and perfect when dipped in vinegar or sukang pinakurat and paired with newly-cooked rice.

You can buy danggit in the Taboan Market in bulk or catch them fresh in Bantayan Island. Tabo-an market houses dozens of stalls that sell a wide variety of dried and salted fish. Bantayan Island, on the other hand, is the leading producer of danggit in the region. Although you can find it anywhere in the country, Cebu offers a more affordable price compared to those packed and sold in other cities like Manila.

Editor’s Note: To view Cebu delicacies on this list, simply browse through the page numbers below.

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3. Dried Mango

Guimaras may be known to have the sweetest mangoes in the Philippines but Cebu owns the crown for the best dried mangoes in the country. Dried mangoes are slices of best handpicked mangoes, sun-dried and processed to extend shelf life. They are then neatly packed in small plastic bags which are preserved to make it convenient for travelers. These can be ripe or green.

The mangoes’ poor shelf life may be the reason why people learned to dry it, and Cebu has made into perfection the art of drying that it produces the most excellent tasting, rich in vitamins, fat-free snack. In fact, dried mango is now one of Philippines’ most famous export products and Cebu is the largest producer in the country and abroad. Some dried mango popular brands you should try are 7D, Guadalupe, Philippine Brand and R&M.

Editor’s Note: To view Cebu delicacies on this list, simply browse through the page numbers below.

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4. Chicharon

You can find chicharon anywhere in the country, but Liloan and Carcar City are known to make the best chicharon you can ever eat. Basically, chicharon is made of pork’s back fat, pork rind or pork skin deep fried in lard and then sun-dried, oil-drained, cooled and reheated and comes with the natural, hot or salty flavors. It is best to munch during past-time, a perfect pulutan on a drinking session with barkada or as toppings in dishes like palabok, soups and noodles.

Editor’s Note: To view Cebu delicacies on this list, simply browse through the page numbers below.

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5. Otap

An oval crispy pastry made of eggs, shortening, flour, sugar and margarine, Otap is one of the best and the trademark delicacy of Cebu. Its distinctive sweetness which is emphasized with its burnt flavor is a perfect pair for hot chocolate, tea and coffee. The slightly crunchy and flaky texture melts easily in the mouth leaving a sweet lingering trace as you reach for more. This delicacy is a staple at all pasalubong shops in Cebu as it is also the most in-demand pasalubong snack. Some of the most popular brands of Otap are Shamrock, Magic Melt and Conching’s. Shamrock branches can be found near Colon and Fuente Osmena, a store near Lapu-Lapu City Hall and in Mactan International Airport.

Editor’s Note: To view Cebu delicacies on this list, simply browse through the page numbers below.

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6. Chorizo de Cebu

Chorizo is like the native Filipino sausage or longganisa but varies slightly on the taste. Unlike longganisa, chorizo is sweet and spicy, and contains more meat but lesser fat. It is processed with a curing mix of salt, phosphate and chilled water, and is being grilled on skewers and served on a stick with rice. The chorizo in Cebu is most popular for its sweetness. You can find it in Larsian and most of the eating places in Cebu. The Cebu chorizo is also available in Metro Manila through a brand called Chorizo de Cebu. It sells quality-processed sausages prepared Cebu-style and comes in many flavors such as garlic pork, pork hamonado, garlic chicken, and chicken hamonado.

Editor’s Note: To view Cebu delicacies on this list, simply browse through the page numbers below.

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7. Mazareal

In 1914, Juliana “Didang” Suico started the masareal business in Basak, Mandaue. Today, “Didang” is already an equivalent to the famous masareal pasalubong brand. Masareal comes from the combined words masa (dough) and real (fine). It is a rectangular bars of mixed ground peanuts and sugar, packed in white paper. The packing of paper is then secured with a piece of plastic twine or string.

As it originated in the city of Mandaue, the best masareal products can also be found in that city. It is a favorite delicacy not only for kids or peanuts and sweet lovers but also for balikbayans to bring back abroad. Aside from its original rectangular shape, the makers of masareal have now adapted new changes and innovations in its shapes and sizes. Heart and other fancy shapes are now available in stores.

Editor’s Note: To view Cebu delicacies on this list, simply browse through the page numbers below.

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8. Torta

Torta is a local pride of the Municipality of Argao in Cebu. In fact in 2011, Argao’s previous Pitlagong Festival was replaced by La Torta Festival as a dedication to this famous delicacy. If you haven’t tried it yet, torta is a large and sweet cupcake-like pastry made of flour poured into tuba, a fermented coconut wine, mixed with salt and sometimes flavored with anise and is cooked on a clay furnace. You might have seen it in many bakeries, but the ones in Argao are worth trying.

Editor’s Note: To view Cebu delicacies on this list, simply browse through the page numbers below.

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9. Rosquillos

Cebu is home of many original pastries. One of these is Rosquillos, a circular-shaped cookie with a hole at the center. Originally made in Liloan Cebu by Margarita “Titay” Frasco in 1907, Rosquillos comes from the Spanish word rosca which means ringlet. Its name was reputedly given by late Philippine President Sergio Osmeña Sr. while visiting Titay’s home and was served with the then nameless pastry. While the delicacy’s history is pretty much interesting, I assure you that the delicacy itself is much more interesting you must absolutely try it.

Editor’s Note: To view Cebu delicacies on this list, simply browse through the page numbers below.

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10. Bibingka

Bibingka is everywhere in the country, but the best and most famous is found in Mandaue City baked in a special oven locally known as “Urnohan”. For tourists who have no idea what bibingka is, it is a rice cake made of rice, sugar, flour, butter and coconut milk with a spreading of margarine or butter, topped with grated coconut and sprinkled sugar, and bottomed with a wrap made of heated young banana leaves. It’s a good treat for a hungry tummy!

Editor’s Note: To view Cebu delicacies on this list, simply browse through the page numbers below.

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11. Ampao

Ampao, the Philippine version of rice crispies, is the best delicacy of Carcar, Cebu. It began in the early 1900s and became popular in the 1940s. Basically, ampao is cooked rice dried out in the sun to become crispy. It is added with a piece of peanut or two to bring out the natural ampao flavor and helps make it a delectable treat. You can find it in stores in rectangular shape and some in various colors like green, yellow or pink aside from its original white color. Sweet ampaos can also be made into little square bars or mixed into a batch of cookies. Its sweetness and crunchiness makes it an amazing treat to add to desserts like an ice cream or a cake. Even the Filipino halo-halo can’t be complete without a sprinkle of sweet ampao.

Editor’s Note: To view Cebu delicacies on this list, simply browse through the page numbers below.

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12. Salvaro

Salvaro of Cebu, also called coconut crunchies, is a wafer thin, crispy and oval-shaped coconut crackers. It is a unique and distinct Cebu delicacy due to its coconut flavor. Its main ingredients include enriched wheat flour, sodium bicarbonate, sugar, shortening, and shredded coconut. Even in the absence of any ingredient that would render richness and creaminess, a bite of salvaro is surprisingly creamy. Some of the famous brands and manufacturers of this healthy and nutritious snack are Gene’s Salvaro de Cebu and Pinky’s Salvaro.

Editor’s Note: To view Cebu delicacies on this list, simply browse through the page numbers below.

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13. Bocarillo

Another sweet and famous Filipino delicacy that originated in Carcar, Cebu is Bocarillo. It is made from coconut strips sweetened with milk and mixed with eggs and sugar. It comes in different colors like blue, green, yellow and pink molded into a flower-like shape to make it more indulging. Bocarillo is an inexpensive delicacy which is not too readily available in the supermarkets around the city, but you may catch on some vendors selling it on buses or running after private cars on the streets. Those who crave for this treat but can’t find it may better make one their own. Nothing to worry about if you don’t know how to make a Bocarillo, recipes and cooking tutorials are abundantly available in the internet.

Editor’s Note: To view Cebu delicacies on this list, simply browse through the page numbers below.

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14. Puso

Puso is a local form of Ketupat found in other parts of the Malay world. It is boiled rice wrapped in coco leaves, a dish that originated in the province of Cebu. They are usually strung together hence called hanging rice. Each piece of puso is usually sliced in half when served for easy eating. The history of puso is attributed to Cebuano seafarers who need to keep their cooked rice from spoiling during sea voyages. Its shape facilitates moisture to drip away from the cooked rice while the coco leaves allow the rice to be aerated and prevent flies and insects from touching it. The popularity of puso in the Philippines is continuing due to its high demand in open-air eateries throughout the country.

Editor’s Note: To view Cebu delicacies on this list, simply browse through the page numbers below.

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15. Budbud Kabog

Discovered in the mountains of Catmon in Cebu, Budbud Kabog is a native rice cake with distinct texture and flavor wrapped with banana leaves. It is made from pounded kabog, the only millet variety in the Philippines that grows in abundance in Brgy. Agsuwao of Catmon, added with sugar and coconut milk.

Residents of Catmon said that it was first sold in a toll booth in Naghalian Bridge to cockfight aficionados. The delicacy then gained recognition and every year, a festival especially dedicated to Budbud Kabog is celebrated every 10th of February during the town fiesta. Since Budbud Kabog is made from a distinct millet variety, the availability of the ingredient affects the production of the delicacy. Today, budbud kabog can only be found for sale on certain days of the year despite its high demand from tourists and locals.

Editor’s Note: To view Cebu delicacies on this list, simply browse through the page numbers below.

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16. Pintos (from Bogo)

Pintos is a delicacy that originated in Bogo, a major town center and trading area at the northern end of Cebu. It’s like a rice cake made from ground corn with milk and margarine or butter, and wrapped with corn husk then steamed. Some special pintos are added with cheese or strips of coconut.

The town of Bogo celebrates an annual Pintos Festival every month of May during the town fiesta in celebration to this native delicacy which was started by Peregrina “Pering” Catampatan. When you are in Bogo, Cebu, you can look for Nang Pering’s Pintos de Bogo for the original pintos experience. Pintos is a simple, unpretentious but delectable local snack best paired with hot sikwate (hot chocolate).

Are you hungry now? Go find a store nearest you and grab a bunch of delicacies you can find. You’ll not surely regret it.
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