Philippine cuisine seeks to take on Vietnamese pho, Thai tom yum

In a recent video posted on Facebook as part of a promotion campaign, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr referred to dishes such as sinigang, a traditional soup or stew characterized by its sour and savory taste, and adobo, a beloved Filipino dish known for its savory and tangy flavors.

He said one of his favorite dishes is balut (duck egg with embryo inside), a popular street food.

He also called on his compatriots to tell foreign tourists about their cuisine to enhance its reputation since most visitors to Southeast Asia only remember Vietnam's pho noodle soup and Thailand's tom yum hot and sour soup.

In this year's rankings of top 100 cuisines in the world put out by international food magazine Taste Atlas based on nearly 400,000 votes from experts and tourists, the Philippines ranked 33rd, lower than neighbors such as Indonesia (6th), Thailand (17th) and Vietnam (22nd).

Philippine tourism authorities are developing culinary tours that allow travelers to explore local foods, Nikkei Asia reported.