{"id":7736,"date":"2019-05-26T10:57:34","date_gmt":"2019-05-26T02:57:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/primer.com.ph\/tips-guides\/?p=7736"},"modified":"2021-07-16T16:25:53","modified_gmt":"2021-07-16T08:25:53","slug":"lechon-the-all-time-favorite-fiesta-food-in-the-philippines","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/primer.com.ph\/tips-guides\/2019\/05\/26\/lechon-the-all-time-favorite-fiesta-food-in-the-philippines\/","title":{"rendered":"Lechon: The All-Time Favorite Fiesta Food in the Philippines"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you\u2019ve ever been to a Filipino fiesta or party, you most probably have seen a lechon.<\/em><\/p>\n

One can\u2019t miss the savory aroma, perfectly crispy skin, and the flavorful tender meat of the roasted pig well-known as \u2018Lechon\u2019<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\"\"IMAGE grabbed from The Pantry Dusit’s Facebook page<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Lechon is one of the most popular dishes in Filipino food culture. It brightens every feast\u00a0of every household,<\/span>\u00a0commonly served during occasions such as birthdays, fiesta, anniversaries, holidays, and other celebrations. <\/span><\/p>\n

Where it originated<\/b><\/h3>\n

The\u00a0first lechon was made in Cebu in the 1920s, and the first-ever <\/span>lechoneros<\/span><\/i> came from Talisay, Cebu. You can say that this is the reason why a mere mention of the word Lechon always directs to Cebu\u2014because it is the home of the best Lechon. Even the late Anthony Bourdain described Cebu Lechon as the \u201cthe best pig ever.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Also read:\u00a0Netflix Features Cebu Culinary Heroes in Street Food Asia<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

However, you don\u2019t need to travel to Cebu just to get a taste of this famous dish because here in Metro Manila; there\u2019s a place known to be the Lechon Capital of the Philippines. La Loma in Quezon City,\u00a0 home of\u00a0numerous lechon stalls, is the best place to visit for your lechon cravings<\/span>. They even celebrate the annual Lechon festival every month of May!<\/span><\/p>\n

Although lechons look exactly the same, did you know that there\u2019s a difference between Luzon and Visayas Lechon? <\/span><\/p>\n

Flavor<\/b><\/span><\/h4>\n

Lechon in\u00a0Visayas\u00a0is\u00a0a bit more complicated compared to others, yet more flavorful.\u00a0The Cebuano version of lechon involves removing the insides of the pig and stuffing it with abundant spices such as lemongrass, onion leeks, laurel, ground black peppercorn, garlic and salt making it more aromatic and flavorful.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"IMAGE grabbed from Pepita’s<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

On the other hand, Luzon lechon is a much simpler version. They don\u2019t rely much on the stuffing inside to bring out the taste\u00a0as they make do with the sauce instead. In Luzon, most people prefer\u00a0dipping their lechon in the liver sauce also known as Mang Tomas, but\u00a0in the Visayas, they prefer dipping it in vinegar.<\/span><\/p>\n

Cooking<\/b><\/h4>\n

While most Lechon you\u2019ve seen in the Metro is roasted with wood charcoals, Visayan lechon is roasted with charcoals made from the husk of a coconut.\u00a0Roasters then rub the pig\u2019s skin with more salt to add flavor.<\/span><\/p>\n

Meanwhile, with Luzon\u2019s version, they stuff the salt and pepper inside the pig and sometimes, use soft drinks to rub on the skin.<\/span><\/p>\n

Other lechon recipes<\/strong><\/h3>\n