Kate Semilla

A Taste of Cebu’s Pride: Cebu Lechon Mouth-watering— that's the best term to describe the Cebu Lechon. It is said that a simple occasion becomes special whenever lechon is served. Consequently, lechon or lechon baboy (roasted pig) never fails to be present in any feast or banquet of different holidays and occasions in the Philippines. Lechon is always the star of the show. Typically, Cebuanos are known joyous and religious people as observed through many festivals and religious activities they celebrate. However, Cebuanos are also known for its distinctive and savory dishes that each town has its own delicacies. Despite all of these, the Cebuanos unite when it comes to everyone’s all-time favorite─ the lechon. Cebu Lechon is a delicious delicacy that both locals and tourist cannot resist. For those who didn't know, lechon was originated in Spain. This was only introduced by the Spaniards to the Philippines since it was once colonized by them. However, there has also been claims saying that long before the colonization period, the Filipino natives were already serving this dish using native pigs according to Wikipedia. That is why, it’s not a surprise if it becomes considered as the national food as it is served in the different parts of the country resulting to the birth of its different variants and versions. These variants includes lechon baka, lechon manok, lechon kawali, and etc. Meanwhile, most notable versions include Luzon (Manila) Lechon and Visayas (Cebu) Lechon. Nevertheless, the version of Cebu Lechon is the most famous among all. Since, it is by far one of the most recommended dishes of the Filipinos. It has been consistently on the top 2 list of must-try foods in the Philippines by different blog posts namely CNN Travel (Pineda & Quimpo, 2016) and Sethlui.com (Guest Writer, 2018). Hence, its fame and familiarity hyped up locals and tourists in anticipation to have a bite of it. In addition, what caught such locals and tourists' attention is that it its exhibited distinctive and exquisite amount of tenderness, juiciness and rich salty flavor that can be tasted straight to the bones due to its way of cooking and probably the ingredients. Moreover, its different cooking styles and ingredients are the reasons why it has different variants and versions. Such that according to a blog post Spot.ph, Manila Lechon is cooked through wood fire whereas Cebu lechon in contrast is cooked by manual turning over charcoal. This makes people salivating for its tenderness and juiciness. Furthermore, the latter’s variant is done by stuffing herbs and spices, specifically scallions, onions, garlic, salt, black peppercorns and the secret ingredient: the tanglad also known as lemongrass. Some even showered the pig with milk to achieve its to die for golden-red crunchy skin. Thus, the prominence of this Filipino dish and its authentic taste are the soul reason why it is irresistible. People never leaves Cebu without experiencing such awesome dish. It is both an honor and pleasure to be able to taste such masterpiece. So, what are you waiting for? Come and a take a bite! REFERENCE Wikipedia. Wikipedia Foundations. Web 31 Oct. 2020. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lechon. Faicol, Bea. ( Nov. 30, 2018 ). What's the Difference Between Luzon Lechon and Visayas Lechon [ Web log message ]. Retrieved October 31, 2020 from https://www.spot.ph/eatdrink/the-latest-eat-drink/75887/lechon-difference-between-luzon-lechon-from-visayan-lechon-lf-a--src-yummy-lfrm. Pineda, Maida and Candice Lopez- Quimpo. ( 25 May 2016 ). CNN Travels. Destination Philippines, 50 dishes that define the Philippines. Retrieved October 31, 2020 from https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.cnn.com/travel/amp/50-delicious-philippines-dishes/index.html. Guest Writer. ( Nov. 22, 2018 ). Sethlui.com. Top 10 Local Foods to Eat in Cebu, Philippines (& The Stalls to Try them At). Retrieved October 31, 2020 from https://sethlui.com/top-cebu-foods-philippines/.