BANNA'S ITLOG TI ABUOS

These are ant eggs and this dish is considered a delicacy among Ilocanos. Locally, these giant ants are called "hantik" while Ilocanos call them "buos" or "abuos". These "itlog ti abuos" or ant eggs is a famous delicacy of Banna, Ilocos Norte, They even have a festival out of it. The usual dish only involves sauteing in garlic and tomatoes.  It's quite good and tasty though just a bit sour. The taste is quite similar to that of the "Alige ng Talangka". Needless to say, this dish, just like the Alige, is high in cholesterol.

BATAC's MIKI

Here’s another Batac favorite, the Miki. This noodle soup will definitely satisfy you with its savory taste. It’s the “chicken noodle soup” version of Ilocanos. The soup is medium-thick and aside from the thick white miki noodles (or egg noodles) , it also has some pork chicharon (bagnet) and hard boiled egg for added texture as well as flavor.

EMPANADA


A visit in the city of Batac in the province of Ilocos Norte is not complete without tasting their version of Empanada. When it comes to Empanada, Batac offers the best. With a distinct taste truly its own, it is made of a savory filling of grated green papaya, mongo, chopped longganisa and egg. The dough that serves as its thin and crisp wrapper is made of rice flour. Batac Empanada is deep-fried rather than baked. The Batac Empanada is easily bought at the Batac Riverside Empanadaan. It is accessible and located within the center of the city close to the Batac Church, Marcos Museum and few meters from the city hall and Ricarte Shrime and Museum. 

SARRAT'S CHIPAY

The Chipay is a breaded chicken breast sliced into chunks. It appears like a fried chicken but taking a bite of this hot finger food, you'll appreciate the taste of cinnamon and juicy chicken. Chipay is a Taiwanese street food. It is one of the country’s favorite foods. It may seem unbelievable but the sarrat chipay coud be bought small carinderias,giving you a taste of your dream being in Taiwan. This mouthwatering snack comes with two distinctions, the Chipay laman (breast) and Chipay buto (with bones). Chipay buto is only P20.00 per plate on P30.00 for the chipay laman. 

PINAKBET

Pinakbet  is an indigenous Filipino dish from the northern regions of the Philippines. Pinakbet is made from mixed vegetables steamed in fish or shrimp sauce. The word is the contracted form of the Ilokano word pinakebbet, meaning "shrunk" or "shriveled". The original Ilocano pinakbet uses bagoong, of fermented monamon or other fish, for seasoning sauce, while further south, bagoong alamang is used. The dish usually includes bitter melon (ampalaya). Other vegetables used include eggplant, tomato, okra, string beans, chili peppers, parda, winged beans and others. Root crops and some beans like camote, patani, kadios are also optionally added. For those who intend to have a meaty flavor to their pakbet, the famous bagnet is also added to have a richer taste.

DINENGDENG

 One of the more popular and authentic dishes of Ilocanos is the soup based dish called the Dinengdeng (also called Inabraw).Dinengdeng is very much similar with the more known Pinakbet. While Pinakbet is cooked with fermented shrimp, to make an authentic dinengdeng, the cook should use fermented fish instead. It is also soupy unlike Pinakbet which is more at the saucy side.

This staple bagoong based vegetable stew for the Ilocanos is best topped with grilled fish like milkfish and tilapia. The vegetables used can also be adjusted to your liking.

BAGNET

One of the most favorite Ilacano dish is the Bagnet. Bagnet, to put it simply, is crispy fried pork belly, a cross between Chicharon and Lechon Kawali, where the lean meat is crispy but not dry and the pork skin with all the pork fat is fried to a crisp.

Though not like Chicharon -- which is merely crispy pork skin, and unlike Lechon Kawali -- where a whole liempo is fried and cut into cubes so the only crispy portion is the pork skin,  bagnet is crispy from the skin, fat and the lean meat.

It is usually served with a dipping sauce of Fish Paste (Bagoong Isda) with chopped red or white onion, tomatoes and green onions.

PINAKBET PIZZA

Pizza,though a favorite snack of most of us, is considered as an unhealthy food. So, the Ilocanos of the north have innovated and have arrived to infuse the healthy Ilocano food with pizza, hence,the creation of the pinakbet pizza.  In simplicity, its a pizza topped with the usual pinakbet vegetables. Amazing how that vegetable dish and bagoong went perfectly well with cheese. The cheese makes the vegetables taste all creamy and the bagoong was just like the good ol’ anchovies of the Italian dishes. 

ADAM'S BUGNAY WINE

Bugnay, by the way, is the Ilocano name of the berry-bearing tree that is widely known as bignay in other parts of the country. Its botanic name is Antidesma bunius. This fruit bearing plant is commonly found in the tiny municipality of Adams. Adams is about the smallest town of Ilocos Norte but it has become well known because of its bugnay wine. Would you believe that the town only has a population of 2,700? Yet not just one but 65 of the families have become commercial bugnay wine makers, forming their own association. The bugnay wine has this quirky but pleasant taste and aroma which is likened to a grape wine hence preferred by consumers. It is reddish to purplish in color, resembling like any other red wines. Truly, elegance can now be as simple as having a supply of bugnay wine in the house. The wine tasted a little like sherry, making it an excellent aperitif.

PAOAY CHICHACORN

Corn is widely produced in the Ilocos region, making the cornick or chicacorn one of the major processing industry. Corn is a seasonal produce and the quantity of harvest varies on the cultural practices

of farmers. The chicahcorn has made the white corn variety the new white gold among entrepreneurs, specially those who are situated in Paoay, Ilocos Norte.

Chichacorn or cornick is a favorite snack, not just by Ilocanos but is now popular nationwide. It is fried and crunchy glutinous white corn

kernels. Made special by the garlic seasoning and made even more tempting by the additional flavouring like cheese, sweet and spicy,

barbecue and the Filipino favorite, adobo. Chichacorn is a great snack

during movie marathon, can be an alternative to popcorn. It is as well becoming one of the top pasalubong being bought by tourists. 

LONGGANISA

Longganisa is one of the breakfast favorites of the Ilocanos. It is known the locals for its affordability as well as for its accessibility. The Ilocos Longganisa is pretty much available in all the municipalities in Ilocos Norte, more specifically in their wet markets. The Ilocos Norte Longganisa is distinct in taste with its garlicky flavor and less fat content. It is usually paired with a healthy dose of the sukang Iloco and for some, a dip in KBL,or what we refer to us the kamatis, bagoong, and lasona(mini shallots).

PASUQUIN'S GRILLED DUMADARA

Ilocos Norte is pretty much known for their mind blowing beaches which comes with succulent seafoods as a testimony to the bountiful fishing of the Ilocanos. One of municipalities known for this industry is Pasuquin. This town fills the highways with the tummy-growling scent of the smokes coming from the grilled dumadaras sold along roadsides. Dumadara is a well-known catch in this locality. Freshly caught  from the sea just across the road, the dumadara is carefully broiled slowly over live coals, drenched with fine sea salt locally made in nearby pagsanaans (salt making place) in the area, placed atop a tin foil, and displayed there hot and fragrant, irresistible for travelers to and from Cagayan or Ilocos to make a stop.

BISCOCHO

Another delicacy that Pasuquin is known for is their famous biscocho. Biscocho in Spanish means biscuits and in the Philippines, it’s typically day old bread that is toasted, buttered or daubed with margarine and then sugared. It is eaten as a snack paired with either hot coffee or milo and is available in many bakeries or groceries around.

In the town of Pasuquin, Ilocos Norte, the biscocho comes in three forms: the traditional hard biscuit made from the outer part of the bread, a soft version of the former and the inner core which is called bugas, soft and tasty. Of the three, the soft ones are quite popular that the Pasuquin Bakery has become a sort of landmark in this province with several visitors and travelers stopping to buy their products Thebiscocho is not sweet, compared to the traditional but what it lacks in sweetness is compensated by the anise flavor and aroma and, especially if its freshly baked, its just one piece of bread goodness! Locals usually eat it alone but some do make sandwiches out of it: butter, sardines, jam, scrambled eggs…

Frugality; that is what Ilocanos are known for. But at the back of that, is the diversity of our character, richness of our culture, and our high caliber tourist spots. It is undeniable,that as of today,Ilocos Norte gradually paves it's way as one of the top Philippine destinations.  People from all walks of life spend an economical amount of money, all for the intent of  having a glimpse of the Ilocano's way of living. And we don't fail to satisfy them. They all head home with their heads loaded with all the knowledge they've learned from our living, with their eyes gratified with our majestic places, and their tongues and tummies gratified with our mouthwatering delicacies.