---
title: Sisig and puso
url: https://karigurashijourney.com/en/notes/sisig-and-puso/
lang: en
journey: https://karigurashijourney.com/en/episodes/mactan/
---

# Sisig and puso

A little of each town’s story　/　Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu

Sisig is a Filipino dish of chopped pork jowl and ears seasoned with kalamansi, onions and chili peppers, served on a sizzling plate. It originates from Pampanga on Luzon, and the modern version is credited to Lucia Cunanan of Angeles. Egg and mayonnaise are common additions nowadays, though Pampanga's traditionalist chefs frown on them. Puso is rice boiled in a woven pouch of palm leaves; the name means "heart" in Cebuano, and in Philippine English it is also called hanging rice. It is closely tied to Visayan street food and is often eaten with grilled skewers of meat or fish.

## This moment in the journey: Sisig, puso and a mango smoothie

Under the sunset sky, I took a table lit by the light bulbs of the stalls. Breaking the egg on the iron plate and mixing it all together made it even more delicious. The egg softened the rich flavor of the pork, seasoned with soy sauce and vinegar.

With it I had puso, rice wrapped in coconut leaves. Unwinding the woven leaves revealed rice packed tight inside. It goes perfectly with the richly seasoned sisig.

As you'd expect in the tropics, the mango smoothie was wonderful too. Families strolled through the food stalls at dusk. I love the Philippines.

![Puso rice unwrapped from its coconut leaves](https://karigurashijourney.com/img/mactan/s93-1200.jpg)
- Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sisig
- Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pus%C3%B4

Read this scene in the full journey: https://karigurashijourney.com/en/episodes/mactan/