Chicharon

Chicharon may not be an original Cebuano specialty because there are places in the Philippines that offer this kind of food. However, nothing compares with the chicharon in Carcar, a nearby town in the province of Cebu. Even Filipinos abroad always ask for a pasalubong (gift) of chicharon from Cebu. In Cebu City alone, there are many competing makers of chicharon like:

  • Chilen’s Chicharon
  • Villalonga
  • Nonie
  • and some other not so well-known chicharon makers in Cebu City

Tasty chicharon in Cebu

Tasty chicharon in Cebu

Villalonga and Chilen are located side by side near M. Velez street in Guadalupe. Both are so tasty and crispy you cannot help but go for another serving. Villalonga has been in the business longer than Chilen. But Chilen was the first company to start the bite-sized chicharon.

In order for Chilen to protect their innovation, they later came out with Chillenitos, which became a hit in the market. In terms of taste, I prefer Villalonga’s chicharon to any other chicharon in Cebu, even the ones made in Carcar. This is of course subjective because tasting is like seeing — it all depends on who tries a particular product.

If you travel to Carcar, you will see rows and rows of small stalls selling chicharon along with other Carcar products. Packs come in 100 grams, 500 grams, and one kilogram, which makes it easy for consumers to choose.

Chicharon can be used as viand for puso (hanging rice); it can also be taken as a stand-alone snack dipped in spicy sauce. But people with healthy lifestyles avoid this kind of food due to high cholesterol and fats content. The best recourse, as with all matters, is to take this with moderation.

Chicharon is not limited to pork rind; some other versions are:

  • Chicharon bulaklak (pig’s intestines)
  • Chicken Chicharon
  • Fish Chicharon

Some related sites for added information:

Pictures of Chicharon:


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