Sisig

Chopped pork face and ears are boiled, grilled and crisped, then served screaming hot on a sizzling plate with onion, chilli and a hit of calamansi, often crowned with a raw egg stirred in tableside. It is the king of Filipino beer food.

Sisig's roots lie in Pampanga, the culinary heart of the Philippines, where the term "sisig" is thought to derive from a Kapampangan word meaning to snack on something sour. The original dish was a simple salad of chopped pork heart, liver, and other offal dressed with calamansi and onions, but the modern sizzling version—featuring grilled pork face and ears on a hot plate—is often credited to Angeles City in the 1970s, though its exact evolution is debated. Today, regional variations include chicken, seafood, and even vegetarian versions, but the classic pork head preparation remains the standard.

As a beloved pulutan, or beer snack, sisig embodies the Filipino resourcefulness of using every part of the animal. Its sizzling presentation, topped with a raw egg and served with calamansi, has made it a national icon, transcending its provincial origins to appear in restaurants and food stalls across the country. It is a staple of Kapampangan identity and a point of pride for Filipino cuisine worldwide.