For those of you who don’t know, lechon is a Spanish term, pertaining to a roasted suckling pig dish which is popular in many places around the world. This delicious dish is prepared with so much time and patience over a hot coal pit, leaving the skin crisp and the meat juicy and ever so tender. Occasions are never complete without the star of the show; that suckling pig sitting on the table just waiting to be eaten. Haven’t tried it? Well it’s time to change that!
Credit: gvhotels.com.ph
What better way to have lechon than in the Lechon Capital of the Philippines, which is La Loma, Quezon City. You can look almost anywhere and find shops face to face or side to side selling their very own versions of mouthwatering lechon. A great shop to head for is Mang Tomas Native Lechon, yes that very same Mang Tomas on the famous sauce produced in the Philippines. Another famous lechon shop is Mila’s Lechon, guarantees their lechon to be juicy and crispy. One bite from any one of the shops will leave you coming back for more and more. La Loma sure knows how to celebrate their lechon by dedicating a fiesta all for the dish.
The locals of La Loma really give their all for the preparation and success of their Lechon Festival. It takes place every third Sunday of May and every year it get grander and grander. You will expect parades, cooking contests, great food, fireworks and a lot of people. Some “lechoneros” even give away free stuff to people who will buy whole lechons from their shops. With or without a fiesta, they still serve the best lechon and who would want to miss that?
