Famous Davao Delicacies You Should try

They say the best way to get to know a new place is by exploring it through food. Davao is a city that is famous for its laid-back lifestyle. But the locals do take their food seriously. Davao delicacies are often made of simple ingredients, but they are given a uniquely Davao-esque gastronomic twist.

Explore Davao City through food and sample these delectable Davao delicacies on your next trip to the city. After falling in love with Davao food, you might want to move to this vibrant city! Create your new home base with a luxury condominium in Davao. After an exciting day of trying and sampling some famous Davao food, relax in your luxury condo in Davao City.

What is the famous food in Davao?

Davao is famous for skewered and grilled dishes or fresh seafood dishes. Popular dishes include grilled tuna belly, grilled squid, and grilled chicken.

But a truly Davao famous food you will easily find throughout the city is kinilaw. Davao kinilaw is made from fresh tuna, mackerel, or swordfish, with cucumber and chili peppers marinated in vinegar.

Sinuglaw is also a famous food in Davao, combining sinugba (grilled) and kinilaw. Here, grilled pork belly is added to kinilaw for a satisfying explosion of flavor.

Fresh fruits also make an appearance in Davao delicacies, especially Durian and bananas. Davao celebrates Durian, turning it to candy and desserts for locals and tourists to enjoy. Bananas are also a staple of Davao street food, but instead of frying them and coating them in sugar, bananas are skewered and grilled before they are brushed with margarine and sprinkled with sugar. Its the smokier sister to the more commonly known banana cue that is popular in the streets of the country.

Top Davao Delicacies You Have To Try

Law-uy

Law-uy is a Davao food that many consider a sumptuous Filipino comfort food. It is a delicious vegetable broth with okra, squash, eggplant, taro, jute leaves, and patola (silk squash). You can also add malunggay leaves to this dish. The soup is clear, though slightly thick due to the addition of okra. Law-uy is simple, delicious, and nutritious.

This Davao delicacy pairs perfectly with rice and can warm you up on a cold or rainy day. Imagine cooking this simple meal on a rainy day, while you stay snug and warm inside your luxury condominium in Davao. Truly one of the best comforting meals you can have in the city.

Kalderobo

This version of adobo is one of the unique and must-try Davao delicacies that should be on your bucket list. Kalderobo is Davao-style adobo. But instead of using pork or chicken, this dish is made with premium beef that is soft and tender. It tastes absolutely delicious as the familiar flavor is used with a different ingredient.

Seafood Feast

Davao famous seafood is a delicacy you should not miss. This bountiful city is abundant in seafood, so of course, they will be featured in many a delicious and indulgent dish.

A crowd favorite Davao food is grilled tuna belly. Yellow fin is the tuna of choice in this region. You can also have tuna in kinilaw paired with chopped tomatoes and chili peppers. You can also try grilled tuna jaw for something more adventurous. Grilled squid is also popular in Davao, particularly when served with a flavorful dipping sauce.

Are you a fan of clams? Then you should definitely try the Davao City delicacy called imbaw. Imbaw is a simple clam soup that packs a clean and refreshing flavor.

Sinuglaw

Love having fish and meat together? Then Sinuglaw is a Davao food that is right up your alley. Sinuglaw is a combination of sinugba and kinilaw. This dish consists of fresh tuna marinated in vinegar, chilies, onions, ginger, and lime. This is then topped with grilled pork marinated in soy sauce and kalamansi. Some might consider this quite a strange combination of flavors, but the fresh and tart flavors of kinilaw cut beautifully through the meatiness and smokiness of grilled pork.

Your first bite of sinuglaw will have you looking for a condo for sale in Davao so you can move in and have this delicious dish weekly. The sweet and savoury flavours of this dish will definitely make you want to live in Davao full-time.

Lechon Buwaya

Are you up for something more exotic and adventurous for your Davao food trip? Then you should try lechon buwaya or roasted crocodile. This is prepared in a similar way to the traditional lechon baboy, with a whole crocodile instead of a pig. This is truly a Davao delicacy you will never forget. You will find lechon buwaya served in some buffet restaurants, and it is also a delicacy that is served on special occasions like birthdays, anniversaries, or town fiestas.

Chicken Binakol

Chicken binakol is another soup based dish. For this recipe, chicken is cooked in coconut water. Other ingredients include coconut flesh and malunggay leaves. The chicken is cooked until it is soft and tender. Even though chicken binakol is cooked and well seasoned with simple ingredients and spices, it is extremely tasty nonetheless.

Chicken binakol is another Davao food you can easily cook in your very own luxury condo in Davao. With simple and accessible ingredients like coconut and chicken, you can make a meal that is both healthy and delicious.

Durian

Davao is famous as the “Durian Capital of the Philippines,” so a trip to this city will not be complete if you without eating durian. Durian is lovingly called “The King of Fruit,” and its spiky outer appearance holds a sweet and creamy fruit inside. Though a lot of people may dislike the durian’s strong smell, its unique taste and custard-like consistency make it a true Davao delicacy.

If eating fresh durian fruit is too overwhelming for you, try the other snacks and desserts that take inspiration from durian. You can try durian candy or durian tarts, which is a Davao food usually bought as pasalubong. These sweet treats are flavored with durian but leave out the strong scent. You can also go for durian ice cream! This would be a refreshing treat especially during sunny summer days.

Want to try durian in something a little more sophisticated? Look for Davao famous delicacies such as durian coffeeccino, durian cheesecake, and durian sans rival.

Charcoal Ice Cream

Yes, the charcoal craze has remained solid in Davao, and charcoal ice cream has become one of the famous street food and dessert in the region. While you can find charcoal ice cream in most dirty ice cream carts, the best one can be found at the Roxas Night Market. Expand your taste buds and refine your palate by trying different and unique flavors.

Barbecue and Isaw

These grilled street food is a staple in Davao cuisine. Barbecue and isaw (chicken intestines) are the perfect afternoon snack, or they can be the star of your meal when paired with rice. Isaw is best dipped in a vinegar sauce containing onions and peppers. For the most delicious barbecue, head on over to Poblacion District in Davao City.

Cacao and Chocolate

Davao City has also been crowned as the “Chocolate Capital of the Philippines.” Davao is also home to Malagos Chocolate, an internationally acclaimed Filipino chocolate.  Puentespina Farm, the cacao farm for Malagos Chocolate received a “heirloom cacao” designation by the Heirloom Cacao Preservation Fund, making this humble Davao delicacy a world-class offering to the world.

Visit the Malagos Chocolate Museum on your next trip to Davao to experience their “tree-to-bar” chocolate experience. Take a tour around their nature park and learn about growing cacao and the process of turning it to world-class chocolate. End this tour by sampling their chocolate bars, chocolate craft beer, cacao juice, and try their tablea chocolate dipping sauce.

Take a Trip and Try The best Davao Food

Davao City is a thriving urban center and a melting pot of nature, culture, and luxury. Level up your next trip to Davao by sampling the different Davao delicacies that you will not find anywhere else in the Philippines.

And if you fall in love with Davao food, why not make the move to Davao? Find yourself your very own luxury condo in Davao and explore this beautiful city to the fullest.

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