Fiery Stew · Coconut & Chili Pork
Bicol Express
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The dish wasn't invented in Bicol at all — it was named and popularized at a restaurant in Malate, Manila, after the sound of a passing train reminded its creator of the rail line running to the Bicol region.
Pork is simmered low in thick coconut milk with shrimp paste, garlic, and a heavy dose of long green and red chilies until the sauce reduces into a rich, fiery coating. It's ladled hot over rice at carinderias and food stalls across the country, though it hits hardest at stalls in its namesake region.
Why it's made this way: Restaurateur Cely Kalaw named the dish in the 1970s after the Philippine National Railways line to Bicol, borrowing both the region's name and its reputation for the country's spiciest cooking, even though the dish was formalized in Manila.
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Part of World of Street Food — 3248 dishes from 118 countries.
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