When we say Batangas, most of us would think about their beaches, their mountains, and their diving spots. But there is something that many people tend to forget or to highlight: their food.
The province of Batangas provides a wide range of food delights. Since it is near bodies of water like the sea, it has a variety of seafood. Their lakes and rivers also produce freshwater fishes. The farms and lands surrounding Batangas produce the top quality meat in the Philippines. In fact, a lot of stores found on the roads sell buffalo, cow, and even goat meat.
Because of their vast resources, the Batangueno cuisine can be hard to describe. Just like the provinces in South Luzon, most of their dishes involve soup. But they also offer deep-fried, smoked, and grilled delicacies.
If you are visiting the province of Batangas, here are the local delicacies that you should not miss! (With the help of our blogger friends from BarakoPH)
1. Bulalo (Balagtas, Batangas)
Bulalo is the signature food of Batangas. It is a simple dish when you check its ingredients. It’s beef shank boiled in water filled with black pepper, garlic, onion, and salt. Different vegetables such as Chinese cabbage, potatoes, cabbage, and corn are also added.
The key to a great tasting Bulalo is how many hours it’s being cooked. This dish is cooked for several hours that the meat starts to become very tender and falls off the bone. It is eaten with your own mix of fish sauce, vinegar, and chili pepper. Bulalo is best paired with a cup of rice and cold Coca-Cola.
2. Batangas Lomi (Agoncillo, Batangas)
Batangas Lomi is different from the usual lomi that we can eat. It is very thick with a gooey consistency. This delicacy has meat and eggs on it and is paired with a sauce made of chili, soy sauce, and calamansi.
Once you’re in Batangas, you may also notice several lomi eateries along the road, a proof as to how obsessed people are in eating this delicacy. The taste differs from restaurants to restaurants but the main recipe still remains.
3. Salabat (Cuenca, Batangas)
If you love drinking hot teas, you should try Salabat de Cuenca. This instant ginger tea was made by PWD (Persons With Disabilities) in Cuenca, Batangas.
4. Deep Fried Tawilis (San Nicolas, Batangas)
Deep fried tawilis is served at different restaurants. It is crispy but the bones inside the fish are very soft and will not hurt your palate.
Tawilis is a freshwater fish found in Batangas, so it’s relatively cheap. People cook it grilled, paksiw or with tomato sauce.
5. Batangas Goto (Lipa and Bauan, Batangas)
Batangas Goto is different from the usual goto that we eat. It is not made in rice porridge or congee consistency, but it is thin and loose soup with beef tripe. But it also has extra ingredients: it has innards.
6. Adobo sa Dilaw (Taal, Batangas)
Adobo is a famous dish in the Philippines — there is a variety of adobo from the different provinces of the country. However, Batangas’ Adobo is different. It adds a key ingredient, turmeric. Turmeric or luyang dilaw in Batangas produces a vibrant yellow or orange color to any dish.
Since Adobo sa Dilaw is a popular dish in Lemery and Taal, you may easily find it in different eateries and restaurants. It is similar to the ordinary adobo. But instead of using soy sauce, you use turmeric on the dish.
7. Sinaing na Tulingan (Balayan, Batangas)
Another Batangueno dish that is easy to cook is the sinaing na tulingan. Tulingan is a small fish, belonging to the tuna family, that can be caught in Balayan Bay. Salt is rubbed to the fish and then covered with dried kamias and then placed and lined in a clay pot. It is then cooked slowly, releasing the flavor of the fish until its juices mix with the water from the salt.
Sinaing sa Tulingan is very salty and fishy but it is a favorite among Batangueños due to the dish’s long shelf life, even if you will not put it in the refrigerator.
8. Tinapa (Lemery, Batangas)
One of the major products of Lemery is tinapa. In fact, they used to have a Tinapahan Festival before. Any fish can be used to make tinapa. Smoking the fish prolongs the shelf life of the seafood, plus it gives an exciting flavor to it. Once you reach a market in Batangas, don’t forget to take a pack of Tinapa with you. It is best eaten with vinegar and chili.
9. Longganisa and Tapang Taal (Taal)
Batangas is popular for their top quality beef, but they also have their famous tapa made of pork. The Tapang Taal is a pork jerky that has a strong garlicky yet a sweet taste.
Like the Tapang Taal, the Longganisang Taal has a very garlicky flavor. It is soft, brown, and is not as thick as the other versions of Longganisa. Both of these delicacies are best served with fried rice and egg, with a serving of Kapeng Barako.
10. Kalderetang Kambing (Bauan, Batangas)
For a complete foodie experience, do not miss Kalderatang Kambing. It is popular for a good reason. Goat meat is tastier than other kinds of meat. Kalderetang Kambing is cooked for several hours until the meat is soft and tender. It is best eaten with a serving of Bagoong Balayan, calamansi, and a cup of hot Kapeng Barako or tuba.
11. Nilupak (Agoncillo, Batangas)
Traditionally, nilupak is mashed using “lusong” it the larger version of mortar and pestle that is made of wood. Usually offered during merienda, this dish made from a mashed cassava with condensed milk or sugar and butter or margarine and in Agoncillo, they add peanut butter.
Itching to eat these delicacies? Head over to Batangas now and see what the province has to offer!
