According to data released by the Pew Research Center in 2022, approximately two million Filipinos were born in the United States, accounting for 4% of the immigrants residing there. Furthermore, nearly 1.5 million Filipinos migrated to the U.S. between 1981 and 2018. These individuals started anew in the country to achieve a better life for themselves and their families, even if it meant missing Filipino cuisine.

Certain dishes remind Filipinos living in the United States of their homeland, families, and childhood. We’ve listed some of these savory, nostalgia-inducing dishes below.

Adobo

This Filipino stew contains meat (you can choose between chicken and pork), soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, and spices. If you’re looking for alternatives, some Filipinos cook adobo with fish, squid, shrimp, or lamb and add coconut milk or turmeric for a richer sauce. There’s also adobo with the liquid reduced and the meat fried in its own fat. Others keep the dish wet because the liquid serves as a wonderful sabaw or soup.

Adobo soothes the soul and tastes delicious, making it a well-loved and important dish to Filipinos. More importantly, it symbolizes the love and care we give to the food we serve to our loved ones.

Sinigang

Sinigang mostly needs meat or fish and vegetables, with its trademark sourness coming from any of these ingredients:

-Unripe tamarind fruit and its leaves

-Unripe guava

-Calamansi

-Green mango

-Tomato

-Kamias (bilimbi)

Like adobo, sinigang is incredibly comforting. That’s why it’s best eaten on cold days or as a remedy for sickness.

Pancit

Filipino parties, including birthdays, often feature a lot of noodles or pancit. Many Filipinos believe that eating this dish will give them prosperity, long life, and good luck.

Pancit comes in many varieties, with pancit bihon and pancit palabok being two of the most popular. One has bihon or rice vermicelli noodles, shredded chicken, shrimp, carrots, and cabbage, all bathed in a mixture of soy sauce, oyster sauce, and fish sauce.

Pancit palabok highlights springy rice noodles drenched in orange-tinted, shrimp-flavored annatto sauce. The noodles are topped with shrimp, crushed chicharron, sliced hard-boiled eggs, and scallions. Finally, the dish is served with citrus wedges (typically calamansi) that are squeezed and drizzled onto the noodles.

Arroz Caldo

The Filipinos’ answer to congee, carrying a Spanish name, is a filling chicken and rice porridge. Mostly eaten to relieve colds, arroz caldo features garlic, ginger, and patis, making it a comforting dish served during meals or merienda (afternoon snack).

Filipino Spaghetti

You’ll also see Filipino spaghetti at local parties and celebrations. For instance, this dish is traditionally served on All Saints Day, a day that brings everyone together and is the perfect time to commemorate deceased loved ones.

Filipinos cook big batches of spaghetti for all family members and visitors at cemeteries. They use a special sauce that gives the dish its sweet and comforting flavor, consoling and uniting people during All Saints Day. Although we grieve those who’ve passed on, Filipino spaghetti reminds us that happiness shines through. It shows when we’re with our loved ones, enjoying familiar flavors.

Lumpia

Lumpia, known as the Filipinos’ take on spring rolls, consists of vegetables, minced meat, and, in some varieties, shrimp. One common variety of lumpia is Lumpiang Shanghai, which typically contains pork and vegetables. It’s a hit at Filipino parties, served alongside other favorites such as pancit and spaghetti.

Since preparing Lumpiang Shanghai requires some time and effort, you may see Filipino family members working together to make a large number of these rolls. The result: small, crunchy, and fried snacks that are easy to eat. Plus, Filipino parties run out of Lumpiang Shanghai first.

Like Filipino spaghetti, lumpia symbolizes unity and sharing. If you visit the Philippines, you may see people making huge spring rolls for their community during Undas.

Lechon

Regarded as the most popular Filipino dish, lechon, or roasted pig, always takes center stage at the dining table during special occasions. It’s slowly roasted over a pit of charcoal for several hours, and people constantly check the pig to ensure it’s cooked well.

Ultimately, this repetitive and time-consuming process makes delicious lechon. The pig’s crispy skin and tender meat dipped into the perfect sauce create a mouthwatering sight.

Whenever Filipinos abroad crave lechon, they spend time searching for it or cooking their version. Lechon takes us back to when we’d dine and bond with loved ones, but it’s better served and enjoyed back home.

Puto & Bibingka

These sweet treats on our Filipino comfort food list are traditional Filipino rice cakes.

-Puto is steamed and topped with cheese or served with salted eggs.

-Bibingka is made with glutinous rice and coconut milk. It’s baked in clay pots filled with banana leaves and garnished with salted egg and cheese.

Eating puto and bibingka makes us remember our childhood. Notably, bibingka is a staple of local Christmas celebrations. Vendors sell it outside churches and in special markets during the holiday season, attracting those needing a delightful snack.

Suman

Filipino rice cakes also include suman, a sticky treat made from glutinous rice cooked in coconut milk. After cooking, the snack is wrapped in banana leaves and steamed.

Filipinos typically eat freshly cooked suman with muscovado sugar on top, accompanied by ripe mango on the side, or both. Remove this rice cake from its banana-leaf wrapper, and you’ll spot a bit of green mixed with its white color. Additionally, the wrapper makes suman smell like flowers.

Suman is often served and eaten during All Saints' Day, with its texture representing the deep family and communal ties that are celebrated on this occasion. Families and visitors eat suman at cemeteries, an act that symbolizes staying together and remembering their deceased loved ones. The dish forges bonds between generations, brightening even the most somber of occasions.

Where to Find Filipino Comfort Food in the U.S.

Cities and towns across the country don’t run short of Filipino comfort food. These dishes are usually sold in Filipino restaurants and food stalls during important cultural events. Sometimes, you might find food trucks cooking Filipino dishes; they’re perfect for dining on the streets.

If you want to enjoy Filipino cuisine at home, you can get ingredients from Filipino grocery stores. Their shelves are stocked with local produce, sauces, condiments, and other essentials for recreating Filipino cuisine. Alternatively, many Filipino restaurants offer delivery of their menu items directly to your doorstep.

Online business directories give you a quick and convenient way to find the best local restaurants near you, including Filipino restaurants. Simply type relevant keywords into the search boxes of these websites or utilize dedicated filters for a more comprehensive search.

Feast On Traditional Filipino Dishes Today

Whenever homesickness swoops in, Filipinos in the U.S. flood their taste buds with familiar local flavors. Every bite of Filipino cuisine takes us down memory lane, recalling the special and precious moments we’ve made with loved ones back home.

Beyond that, Filipino cuisine symbolizes the diverse values and beliefs held by Filipinos. It provides everyone with a closer look at these important aspects of Filipino culture, encouraging cultural appreciation and promoting diversity.

If you need Filipino comfort food in your tummy, United Tribes can help you find Filipino restaurants nearby. Visit our online business directory today, and check out our blog for more quick guides to Filipino food.