One of the best parts of traveling is trying out new cuisines. The love for good food—especially culinary offerings made from fresh, local ingredients—is a universal bond across cultures. By tasting the local delicacies of a particular place, you can learn more about their culture and history. If you are planning to head North, Baguio is one of the most popular destinations that offer not only world-class natural attractions and luxury real estate developments but also a rich gastronomical experience. Baguio delicacies, after all, are reflections of the unique topography, colorful traditions, and decade-old cooking practices of the great Cordillera regions.
Whether you are out to satiate your sweet tooth or to satisfy your savory cravings, the city of pines has something to offer. Read on to know more.
Travelers visit Baguio City not only for the scenic views and refreshing climate but also for its diverse food culture. The Baguio food scene is bursting with distinct combinations of flavors that mainly comes from highland produce and the creative culinary minds of its locals. A quick visit to the local market will give you a first-person view of crowd-favorite Baguio products and staples like jams, local wines, coffee beans, strawberries, and more.
Brittany Corporation listed down the most popular Baguio delicacies, including the underrated dishes of the Cordilleras, that you need to try when you are in the city.
Strawberry fields thrive in places with temperate climates. Although the Philippines is a tropical country, the high altitude of Baguio provides a cool climate for strawberries to grow well. This is the reason why strawberries are one of the main produce in Baguio and the Benguet region in general. The bountiful harvest inspired locals to craft creative ways to incorporate the fruit into various Baguio food and Baguio products. The first on the list is the popular Baguio strawberry wine. A great alternative to grape-based wines, strawberry wine has a fruity and sweet flavor that is light to the palate.
Strawberry craft beer or lagud is another unique must-try for liquor enthusiasts. It is the signature brew of Baguio Craft Brewery and the most popular choice among the brewery’s long list of world-class brews. Strawberry beer has a refreshing and mildly sweet taste that many beer drinkers will love.
One cannot talk about the best Baguio delicacies without mentioning strawberry taho. Taho is a classic, Filipino delicacy made of warm, silken tofu topped with tapioca pearls and sweetened with simple brown sugar syrup. Although taho is a widely-available available snack in the Philippines, Baguio City added its own twist to the pinoy street food with fresh strawberries. Instead of brown sugar syrup, strawberry taho uses thick strawberry syrup and chopped fresh strawberries. An ube or purple yam variation is also available.
You can spot easily spot strawberry taho vendors in the best tourist spots in Baguio City, like the popular Burnham Park.
Ube jam or purple yam jam is a sweet treat that you can enjoy as a pastry spread, baking ingredient, or as a standalone dessert. This creamy delicacy is mainly made from boiled and mashed purple yam, coconut milk, and sweetened condensed milk. If you are planning to buy some during your Baguio trip, The Good Shepherd Sisters – Mountain Maid Training Center is one of the best makers of ube jam. Plus, a portion of the acquired profits go to a good cause. The Good Shepherd provides jobs for unemployed mothers and fund the education of working students.
The Good Shepherd also offers other sweet Baguio delicacies and Baguio products such as strawberry jams, lengua de gato (butter cookies), peanut brittle, and peanut brittle.
There are no shortage of sweet treats and pasalubong in the City of Pines. Some of the best Baguio snacks you can add to your list are peanut brittle and choco flakes. Peanut brittle is a flat and thin candy made of chopped roasted peanuts and caramelized sugar. Choco flakes, on the other hand, offers a salty and sweet combo through cornflakes covered with milk chocolate. You can easily spot these Baguio delicacies sold around the city.
If you are feeling adventurous, the taste of sweet strawberry added to a savory dish might be right up your alley. Enter another unique Baguio food—the strawberry sinigang.
Sinigang is a classic Filipino soup dish that is popular for its distinct sour and savory flavor. Its main ingredients are lightly boiled pork belly (or seafood), tamarind or sampalok, and vegetables. Like most flexible Filipino dishes, there are plenty of ways to serve sinigang. Baguio, for one, serves the dish with an extra surprise: sliced fresh strawberries. The fruit adds a hint of sweet and fruity taste to the sour broth, resulting to layers of rich flavors that go well with a hot steamed rice.
The taste of traditional Baguio delicacies give travelers an authentic Cordilleran cuisine experience. A savory dish you should not miss is kinunday—it is a traditional Ibaloy cuisine made of smoked meat. The taste of umami is prevalent as the smoked meat is steamed first, then stir fried to perfection.
Where to eat: You can find Kindunday at the Farmer’s Daughter Restaurant, located at Tam-awan Village, Long Long benguet Road, Baguio City.
Although the city offers a variety of Baguio food, its nearby regions are where you can find some of the most unique cuisines. A traditional Cordilleran dish for adventurous eaters is pinuneg. It is a blood sausage that contains pig’s blood, intestine, and spices that gives the dish a mildly chewy texture. You can dip pinuneg with chili vinegar to bring out its best flavors. Locals of the Benguet region typically make blood sausage for their traditional rituals and ceremonies.
Another authentic delicacy in the Cordilleras is their traditional dried pork, also known as Kiniing and Etag. Both are variants of dried meat preserved through old meat-preserving practices of the region. Kiniing is made by soaking the meat in the seasoned water (boiled with salt and guava leaves), while Etag comes from curing the meat with salt. Both processes involve smoking the meat before drying to get a smoky and rich flavor combo.
Baguio is truly an ideal place for feeding one’s body, mind, and soul. Living in the City of Pines gives you an easy access not only to delectable Baguio delicacies, but also to the best luxury real estate locations in the lush Northern region. And when it comes to unmatched luxury living, Brittany Corporation offers the best luxury condo in Baguio and beyond. Bern Baguio, an exclusive luxury real estate development by Brittany Corporation, is a world-class three-tower development overlooking the popular Mine’s View park and beautiful Baguio skylines.
The master-planned residential community delivers an unparalleled luxury living experience a right in the promising urban landscape of Baguio City—the perfect home for young professionals, solo-dwellers, and family starters. Enjoy a multi-faceted lifestyle that allows you to experience living in nature while accessing the modern comforts of the city!
Ready to come home to your luxury condo in Baguio? Connect to Brittany’s Sales and Marketing team by clicking here. To explore other luxury real estate developments by Brittany, take a quick virtual tour by clicking here.
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