28 September 2026 · EZFudz Team
Celebrating Filipino Foods: Flavours Worth Sharing
Discover how chicharon adds irresistible crunch to Filipino favourites, including palabok, batchoy and munggo.
Filipino food brings together savoury, sour, sweet and salty flavours, often in dishes made for sharing. Chicharon, or pork crackle, is enjoyed as a snack, served with spiced vinegar, and used as a crunchy topping that adds flavour and texture to comforting favourites.
Recipe
Palabok with chicharon
Rice noodles covered in a savoury orange sauce and finished with prawns, egg, spring onion and crunchy chicharon.
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 250 g rice noodles
- 2 cups prepared palabok sauce
- 200 g cooked prawns, peeled
- 2 boiled eggs, sliced
- 2 spring onions, finely sliced
- 1 cup chicharon, lightly crushed
- 2 calamansi or 1 lemon, cut into wedges
Instructions
- Prepare the rice noodles according to the packet directions, then drain well and divide among four serving plates.
- Warm the palabok sauce over medium heat, stirring occasionally until it is steaming.
- Spoon the warm sauce generously over the noodles.
- Arrange the prawns and sliced boiled eggs on top, then scatter over the spring onion.
- Add the crushed chicharon immediately before serving so it stays crisp, and serve with calamansi or lemon wedges.
Recipe
Batchoy with chicharon
A rich Iloilo-style noodle soup with pork, garlic, spring onion and a crisp chicharon topping.
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 4 cups pork or chicken stock
- 250 g fresh egg noodles
- 250 g cooked pork, thinly sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 2 spring onions, finely sliced
- 1 cup chicharon, lightly crushed
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce, or to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Pour the stock into a saucepan and bring it to a gentle simmer over medium heat.
- Stir in the fish sauce and black pepper, then taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.
- Add the egg noodles and cook according to the packet directions until tender.
- Divide the noodles and sliced pork among four bowls, then ladle over the hot broth.
- Finish with garlic, spring onion and crushed chicharon immediately before serving.
Recipe
Munggo with chicharon
A comforting mung bean stew with tomato, leafy greens and savoury chicharon added at the table.
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 1 cup dried mung beans, rinsed
- 4 cups water or stock, plus extra if needed
- 1 tablespoon cooking oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 tomatoes, chopped
- 2 cups spinach or malunggay leaves
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce, or to taste
- 1 cup chicharon pieces
Instructions
- Place the mung beans and water or stock in a saucepan. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 35 to 45 minutes until soft, adding more liquid if needed.
- Heat the oil in a separate pan over medium heat. Sauté the onion and garlic for 2 to 3 minutes until fragrant.
- Add the tomatoes and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes until softened.
- Stir the sautéed mixture into the cooked beans, then season with fish sauce to taste.
- Add the spinach or malunggay and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until just wilted.
- Divide among four bowls and add the chicharon at the table so every piece stays crunchy.
The finishing touch
For the best texture, add chicharon immediately before serving rather than cooking it for too long. Keep extra pieces on the table so everyone can add more crunch to their bowl.