Why Kapampangans cook the way they do

In a traditional Kapampangan house, the kitchen is the biggest room and the busiest. That says a lot about a province whose cooking stands apart from the rest of the country.

Lessons from Spain

Under Spanish rule, friars and sailors taught Kapampangans the basics of Spanish cooking. The cooks then made something of their own, a blend that surprised even Spanish palates. Dishes such as morcon, menudo, caldereta, estofado, embotido, asado and lengua show that heritage, alongside native classics like tocino, longganisa and the saffron rice nasing biringyi, a fiesta dish compared to biryani.

Cooking for dignitaries

In the late 18th century, the Arnedo family of Apalit was asked by the colonial government to entertain foreign visitors, among them a Cambodian prince and a Russian archduke. Kapampangan cooks also prepared the meals at the proclamation of the First Philippine Republic in Malolos.

Fearless eating

Kapampangans are proud of dishes others might hesitate over: fermented mudfish and rice from Candaba, stuffed frogs from Mexico and Magalang, crickets sautéed in vinegar and garlic, and heritage stews such as tidtad. Sisig, now a national favourite, is the most famous of all; start at Aling Lucing Sisig in Angeles.