![You are currently viewing 6 Must-Try Food in Bicol [And Where to Find Them]](https://www.escapemanila.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/kinunot.jpg)
Previously known as Ibalong during the Spanish colonization, now called Bicol Region is home to many tourist attractions. Some of them are the Mayon Volcano in Albay, Caramoan Island in Camarines Sur, and Bagasbas Beach in Camarines Norte.
Apart from these, Bicol also houses delicacies that will make you drool! So the next time you visit, here are the must-try food in Bicol and where to find them:
Kinunot
Adding coconut milk and lots of siling labuyo to delicacies is famous in Bicol. One example is the Kinunot or a spicy dish with stingray as a prime ingredient. The meat was teamed up with coconut milk, malunggay leaves, and lots of siling labuyo to make a soft, partially crispy, and flavorful Kinunot.
Taste it at Geewan, P. Burgos Street, Naga City, Camarines Sur.
Bicol Express
Perfectly paired with rice, the Bicol Express is known to be hot and spicy. It is a coconut-rich stew with pork, balaw or sauteed shrimp, and lots of siling labuyo. As you try this dish, make sure you have water and tissue on your side to take your sweat off!
Taste it at Small Talk Cafe, Dona Aurora St., Old Albay District, Legazpi City.
Pinangat
Pinangat is a dish made with coconut cream, crab meat, and siling labuyo wrapped in gabi or taro leaves. This dish is very common in Bicol which you can see in carenderias, restaurant, or even side vendors.
Taste it at Waway’s Peñarada Extension, Legazpi City, Albay.
Kinalas
Many tourists come to visit Naga just to have a taste of the famous Kinalas in Aling Cely’s. It has been featured by many vloggers, Erwan Heussaf as one.
Kinalas is a noodle soup with a thick brown gravy, chunks of beef, fried garlic on top, and a broth made from simmering water with a pig’s head. It has a very distinctive flavor that will make you wow on the first sip. I personally recommend this must-try food in Bicol that you won’t regret tasting!
Taste it at Aling Cely’s Kinalasan, Dimasalang St., Brgy. Sta. Cruz, Naga City, Camarines Sur.
Pancit Bato
Bato, Camarines Sur is famous for another type of pancit called Pancit Bato. Its texture is similar to a typical pancit canton but made chewier and tastier. It is cooked with soy sauce, vinegar, petchay, and shrimp as the main ingredients. Also, it is best served in the morning with hot pandesal.
Taste it at Chef Doy’s, Magsaysay Avenue, Naga City, Camarines Sur or buy it fresh at Bato, Camarines Sur.
Puto Bukayo
Puto Bukayo, also known as rice puto, is a soft rice cake with a filling of coconut cooked in brown sugar. It is shaped into a ball with a strip of banana leaf to hold it together. The best time to buy this puto is right after the mass on a Sunday morning.
Taste it outside churches specifically the San Francisco Church, Naga City, Camarines Sur.
These are just some of the many delicacies that you can only find in Bicol. So as you visit the place, stroll around the city you are in and grab all these must-try food in Bicol!