Cebuano Delicacies

Famous Cebuano Delicacies 

Taho or Filipino Sweet Tofu Pudding 

Taho is a Philippine delicacy made of silken tofu, sago pearls and a thick sugar syrup called arnibal. This popular street food is commonly peddled on the streets in large aluminum buckets and is often served warm.

Bibingka or Filipino Cake

Bibingka are Filipino cakes made with ground rice, coconut milk and eggs. It is a type of rice cake from the Philippines usually eaten during the Christmas season. It is traditionally cooked in clay pots lined with banana leaves.

Puto Seco or Rice Cookies

A popular Filipino biscuit delicacy made from cornstarch and mochiko flour and very easy way to make puto seco. These cookies are quite crumbly and powdery.

Chocolate Moron or Filipino Rice Cake

 Suman Moron is a smoother variety of suman. This chocolate moron that is made up of ground glutinous rice also known as “malagkit” being cooked in coconut milk. Moron can either be mixed or plain with cocoa or chocolate. Chocolate Moron or known as Moron is one of the rice cakes of the Philippines. This is made from ground glutinous rice, cocoa powder, sugar and coconut milk. Some also put whole or ground nuts in order to add chewing effect and grainy texture to the treats. The mixture is wrapped in banana leaves and steamed. 

Filipino Coconut Macaroons

Filipino Coconut Macaroons Recipe – A popular Filipino pasalubong treat, a sweet and chewy mini coconut muffins. This is the original Coconut Macaroons recipe, it is made of sweet desiccated coconut, condensed milk, sugar, eggs, butter and vanilla extract. These tiny coconut macaroons are tasty and often serve as snacks serve along with coffee, tea or cold drinks.

Ampao or Philippine Version of Rice Crispies

The ampao is a sweet puffed rice cake that originated in the municipality of Carcar, Cebu. It is one of the famous delicacies in Cebu because of its sweet and crispy taste. It is also an inexpensive snack of Cebuanos and a popular gift for tourists and visitors. Many locals say that the ampao is the Philippine version of the Rice Krispies made famous in America. The ampao is a white, sweet and crunchy delicacy sprinkled with peanuts. It is rectangular or square shaped and has a thick width that would require you to open your mouth wider than usual so you can get a good taste of the delicious snack. 

Chicharon or Crispy Pork Rind

Chicharon is ubiquitous as it is a well-loved snack, and may be bought anywhere, from large supermarket chains to sari-sari stores, and even from vendors on foot. It is popular as pulutan or finger food, to be eaten while consuming alcoholic beverages. It is also used as a topping on many native vegetable and noodle dishes. Pork chicharon is prepared by deep-frying dried pork rind with a little salt. It may be dipped in coconut vinegar spiced with soy sauce, chopped garlic and labuyo.

Salvaro or Coconut Crackers

The salvaro of Cebu are basically coconut crackers that are characterized by being flat and oval in shape. Additionally, these biscuits are indeed very thin (wafer-thin!) and also very crispy. Because of their coconut flavour, they are made to be more unique and distinct from other delicacies and products of Cebu. 

Calamay or Sticky Filipino Rice Cake

Kalamay (also spelled Calamay), which means "sugar", is a sticky sweet delicacy that is popular in many regions of the Philippines. It is made of coconut milk, brown sugar, and ground glutinous rice. They can also be flavored with margarine, peanut butter, or vanilla. Kalamay can be eaten alone but is usually used as a sweetener for a number of Filipino desserts and beverages.

Otap or Elongated Puff Pastry

The otap is an elongated puff pastry that is about four to six inches long and about two inches wide. It has a flaky, brittle and crumpled surface that is sprinkled with sugar. Eating this pastry would entail a lot of cautiousness, as fragments and bits of sugar may fall on the floor as you take a scrumptious bite. The native delicacy is especially common in the province of Cebu where it originated.

Piaya or Filipino Unleavened Bread

Piaya is a muscovado-filled unleavened flatbread from the Philippines. It is made by filling dough with a mixture of muscovado and glucose syrup. The filled dough is then flattened with a rolling pin, sprinkled with sesame seeds and baked on a griddle.

Piñato or Caramelized Peanut Candy

Peanuts (whether whole or chopped) that are bonded by caramelized sugar is a local candy known by different names such as bandi in Western Visayas (my mother would always buy me this), piñato in Eastern Visayas.

Caycay or Crunchy Peanut Biscuit

Crunchy, layered biscuit rolled in toasted peanuts. Caycay is a delectable delight, a burst of goodness in every bite.


By: Marelie Balili, Jade Allen Cordova, Filipina Alquizola, Kathleen Pepito and Lee Ann Tradio and Herly Mae Docdoc