Best Filipino Foods to Keep You Warm During the Rainy Season
We’ve all heard the announcement.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAG-ASA) officially announced that May 18th is the start of the rainy season here in the Philippines for 2022. You may feel a bit of mixed emotions about this, and trust me, I do, too. Finally, we’re out of the extremely hot weather of the summer season (I hope you at least visited one or two beaches) but that also means you have to bring in with you your rain protection gears because rains in the Philippines shouldn’t be taken lightly.
During this pouring times, I guess we can relate to the feeling of turning in a big human burrito and just sleep the rainy day away. But you know you still have responsibilities to fulfill. So, lift yourself up off the warmth and comfort of your bed (it’s hard, I know) and grab yourself something off the cupboard to warm yourself up.
Or maybe just pick up something from this list?
Here are the best Filipino foods to eat during the rainy season to warm yourself (and your heart) up!
Goto / Arrozcaldo
Plain and straightforward — that’s what a goto is. This warm fusion of rice, ginger, garlic and salt will surely make any sleepyhead wake up in delight. This dish is so easy to prepare that it has become a staple in every Filipino household — even in the streets. You just throw in everything in a pot, pour in the right amount of water (for that nice, thick consistency) and bring it to a boil, stirring every now and then to avoid the rice burning at the bottom of the pot.
You can also level up this rainy day pal and add some meat like chicken or eggs, fried garlic bits, and even squeeze in a calamansi and drizzle pepper for that upgraded version which we call arrozcaldo!
Champorado
We all know that Filipinos love to eat rice — and I mean we’ll virtually eat anything with rice. With that being said, we’ve also created various ways to cook our staple food. We’re done with goto and arrozcaldo, now it’s time to introduce champorado!
Champorado is one of my favorite childhood breakfasts, because it’s not every day that we have chocolate-infused glutinous rice to eat in the morning. Yes, you read that right! Champorado is a trio of cocoa powder, sugar, and glutinous rice (adding water of course!) stirred in a pot until it becomes sticky and the chocolate has thoroughly incorporated. A bowl of hot champorado is topped with evaporated or powdered milk (either way is still delicious) and is usually paired with dried fish, locally known as tuyo, for that salty-sweet contrast exploding inside your mouth!
Sinigang
For me, sinigang will always be the game changer whether be it during summer or rainy season. Eat this during the hot weather and you’ll sweat enough to cool yourself off. Serve yourself a bowl of this during the cold days and you’ll find yourself being hugged in the warmest and coziest way possible! Sinigang is indeed a versatile dish perfect for all occasion!
For those who are curious, sinigang is a concoction of meat (chicken, pork, beef, and even fish is fine), vegetables, and the main ingredient, tamarind. You can eat it on its own like a normal stew, or if you’re a Filipino like me, with a plate of rice!
Ginataang bilo-bilo
I would say this is the ‘hot’ counterpart of our dessert, halo-halo. Basically, it has the same ingredients like sweet potato, tapioca, jackfruit, and banana, but instead of shaved ice and evaporated milk, the fruits are swimming in a sweet, thick soup. The rice balls (bilo-bilo) is a bonus chew!
Sopas (Elbow macaroni soup)
Who wants a creamy, macaroni soup on a cold, rainy weather? I do! This warm mix of macaroni pasta, shredded meat (usually chicken), milk, and vegetables like shredded cabbage, carrots, and with bits of hotdog or sausage will surely warm every stomach! This is also a great comfort food if you find yourself getting a cough or fever — something that’s really common during the rainy season.
Tinolang Manok
Now, this is also one of my favorite Filipino stew, not only during rainy days but every meal and gathering! It’s really easy to cook — just a bit of sautéing to get that flavor of aromatics infuse into the chicken meat and let it swim by adding a few cups of water and toss in vegetable like sayote or papaya and you’ll get yourself a warm bowl of happiness! You can also top it with malunggay leaves and dahong sili for that added nutrition! Just like sinigang, you can enjoy a serving of tinolang manok just as it is or with a cup of rice and a saucer of fish sauce on the side!
Bulalo
This popular dish from Tagaytay have traversed all throughout the country (and internationally) to bring warm and comfort to every person not just during rainy days but in every occasion!
This bone marrow soup shouldn’t be taken lightly — especially for those who have high cholesterol levels in their body, but you know you can still enjoy this madness just in moderation. I mean who can resist this beefy broth made up of vegetables like corn, cabbage, pechay and the star of the stew — tender beef shank with the bone marrow still inside the bone!
Kape at Pandesal
For those lazy morning (or afternoons) where you’re not in the mood to cook anything, you can rely on this perfect duo to warm yourself up. Just get yourself a mug of hot coffee (whether be it instant or brewed, you do you!) and that bag of freshly-baked pandesal and you’re good to go! Just dip that fine bread into the hot beverage and you’re taste buds will dance in delight!
So there you have it! Rainy days shouldn’t be cold and boring as you have these foods to cheer you up! So, get out of your covers, give yourself a nice, little stretch, and get busy in the kitchen!
