Lumpiang shanghai, sinigang na baboy and tocino are the country’s best dishes, according to an online map of food in the world.
This list was released by TasteAtlas, an interactive global map of flavors, based on reviews and ratings from their users, some of whom are notable local food critics.
Filipino food was ranked under the following classifications:
- Best (with a score of 4.5 and above)
- Great (with a score of 4.0 and above)
- OK (with a score of 3.5 and above)
- Worst (with a score less than 3.5)
It also posted this ranking on social media on Thursday.
The top three are Filipino dishes and their ratings are:
Lumpiang Shanghai (4.9)
TasteAtlas described lumpiang shanghai or Filipino spring rolls as “the most popular variety of lumpia” that traced its roots from the Chinese spring rolls.
“Lumpiang Shanghai is the most popular variety of lumpia, the crispy deep-fried Filipino snack that evolved from Chinese spring rolls. Even though lumpia appears in numerous variations, the Shanghai version is characterized by a savory filling which combines ground pork or beef with carrots, onions, various seasonings, and (occasionally) shrimps,” read the description.
Siningang na baboy (4.7)
TasteAtlas recommended this dish to be made from scratch or without the common sinigang mix in the market.
“A version of the pork sinigang is sinigang na miso, which uses the Japanese seasoning made from fermented rice and barley or soybeans. Nowadays, sinigang mix is available in supermarkets, but enjoying the dish made from scratch represents the full experience,” it said.
Tocino (4.7)
TasteAtlas described the different varieties of tocino which word is a Spanish term that translates to “bacon.”
It included the pork tocino or the burong babi and the tosilog preparations.
“Common additions to the curing mixture include saltpeter food preservative and annatto—a food dye derived from the seeds of the achiote tree that imparts color and peppery flavor. Pork tocino, also known as burong babi, is most commonly only lightly pan-fried until it caramelizes and is traditionally sided with garlic fried rice, and either sunny side up or scrambled eggs,” it said.
Cheers and jeers
The ranking received mixed cheers and jeers from local social media as some of the dishes were staples in different parts of the country.
Some agreed that lumpiang shanghai bested other Filipino dishes.
“The best ang shanghai lalo na pag may pancit,” one Reddit user said.
“Woah lumpiang shanghai,” another user wrote.
Those who disagreed with the ranking shared the food they perceived should have been number one.
“Sisig at daing top tier,” one user said.
“I beg to disagree. lechon is the best, daing is great at tocino is okay. pinipig? Ugh, you don’t know about pinipig,” another user wrote.
Some users even went as far to assume that the scores were probably not given by Filipinos who live in the Philippines.
Last August, TasteAtlas also named sinigang as the best-rated vegetable soup in the world.
Its food critics rated it with a score of 4.8 out of 5 stars.
READ: Sinigang hailed best vegetable soup in the world
The website has an impressive catalogue of over 10,000 foods and drinks from various countries where users can simply search or click over the map.
The Philippines have over 145 types of food on TasteAtlas’ directory.
