People are often inspired to travel around to get a glimpse of the beautiful places and faces in different parts of the world. Travel has always been a very effective tool for those who hunger for a taste of the different cultures around them. And trying out unique and exotic foods in these specific localities is part of the whole culture immersion experience.

The Philippines for instance, though infamous for its political tragedy still boasts for itself the beauty and splendor of its land and people. Known as the Pearl of the Orient Seas, the magnificence of Gaia still emanates from everywhere. And its people, the Filipinos, though most are below the poverty line, have managed to innovate and re-create a unique cuisine suited for his scarce income. Here are two of these innovations:

1. Street BarbequeBarbeque may not sound exotic or by any means unique; one could have had dine in fine restaurants and order kebabs of fine meat or have had a barbeque party grilling quality steak.   But Filipinos, with his beautiful mind and shallow pockets have taken barbeque into a unique level.Think of chicken head, chicken feet, pork and chicken gizzard, intestines, liver, heart, even cooked pork blood on stick. This comprise the typical Filipino Street Barbeque, and though restaurants still serve kebabs and other grilled delicacies, Street Barbeque has rapidly gained a huge following primarily because it’s cheap price, good taste and delicious thick sauce.Though it is true that there can be health issues especially when dealing with unsanitary food quality and preparation by some fly-by-night barbeque stalls, there are legit Barbeque Stations almost everywhere in the streets of the Philippines where you can be sure that food is prepared with the diner’s well-being in mind. All you have to do is find them, and realize for yourself that you love the Filipino Street Barbeque too.
2. Drenched Coconut GratesHere’s the catch, drenched because I’m referring to the grated coconut after coconut milk is already squeezed out of it. Coconut milk has plenty of other uses, especially in the Filipino regular cuisine, even used to make a local version of ice-cream. Now, what I am referring to are the drenched coconut grates, which is supposedly a waste-product, but Filipinos have managed to make food out of it.The drenched coconut grates is mixed with seasoning and some grated vegetables, added with flour, water and eggs. The final product is a healthy veggie-meat ball dish. Apart from being used as main ingredient for the main course, the drenched coconut grates is also used to make coconut candy, or more locally known as bukayo. The coconut grates is cooked and simmered with water and sugar, and the result is a very delectable candy.

However unconventional Filipinos innovate and re-create his cuisine, the imagination and the effort he puts forth to make use of his limited resources is something very usual in the Filipino culture. After being colonized by three different countries for more than 300 years, with his own resources withheld from him, the Filipinos are molded to be always thrift and to make use of everything around him, even “waste food” in that matter.

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