The Best of Dagupan Food
The Dagupan Bangus is the epitome of Dagupan’s best. The Betel, as the bangus is locally called is the tastiest milkfish in the world. The Dagupan Bangus catapulted the chartered city to the world renown and fame. It is the very same reason why the city was adjudged the Bangus Capital of the World. The Dagupan Bangus is cooked and served in 101 ways by restaurants in the city. Among the favorite recipes are inkalot (grilled), fried boneless daing (sun-dried) and inselar or sinigang (sour soup) na Bangus.
One can add flavor to the bangus by adding the condiment which distinguishes Pangasinan cuisine from the other cuisines – the Bagoong. It is salted anchovies or locally known as inasin a monamon. Here in Dagupan City, it is produced locally near the old Perez market.
Another favorite food is Pigar Pigar. It is slivers of beef or carabao meat, seasoned with salt and pepper, piled and mixed with lightly limped onions and fried in the beefy-tasting oil. Sometimes it is garnished with vegetables like cauliflower and cabbage. To the non-cholesterol conscious, one can ask for slices of beef fat to add zest to the meal. Stalls that offer this dish are located in Galvan Street.
Kaleskes is another dish unique to Dagupan and other towns of Pangasinan. Kaleskes is a Pangasinan word which means intestines or innards. Stalls in Herrero-Perez sell the slowly boiled beef and beef offal which are cooked on wood-fired stoves.
Dessert anyone? A favorite among the locals, being a sweet, light dessert to cap off sumptuous meals is the Buko Pastillas. It is actually candied coconut formed into soft, chewy bars. It is manufactured in Lasip Grande and often served in local restaurants. Another local sweet delicacy is the Bocayo which is made of strips of young coconuts cooked to a crunch with molasses or white sugar. The delicacy is made in great quantities in bake shops and specialty stores all over Dagupan, and also sold in many small stores along the city’s side streets.
A traditional Filipino treat, the Bibinka or rice cakes can also be found here in Dagupan. Another favorite is the Dagupan Puto which is made from glutinous rice in Brgy. Pogo Chico.