I am from the Visayas.  I was born in Cebu and raised by my uber Bisaya grandparents in Bulacao Talisay Cebu.  I have family and friends in the Visayas so I have sampled several delicacies from the Visayas islands. 

      

Cebu favorites: Rosquillos, nghohiong with puso, ampao  

Cebu’s dried mangoes, danggit and lechon are a given so I will write about other Cebu delicacies. Cebu’s Liloan Rosquillos are my favorite sweet biscuits.  It is perfect with coffee.  We have other snack items such as otap and barquillos.  The best ones are found in tiny stores in  Northern Cebu.  In Cebu city, you can order ngohiong.  It is chinese lumpia with hot sauce. Have some puso (hanging rice) and RC Cola with it, and you are snacking.. the Cebuano way! My favorite is the small store called “Chinese Ngohiong” across  the University of San Carlos where I studied before.  Going to Southern Cebu, one passes by Carcar.  Carcar is famous for its ampaw which are sweet rice crispies with peanuts and when in Carcar, one must try the highly calorific Chicharon Carcar – deep fried pork rind dipped in vinegar (preferably Sukang Pinakurat).

        

Bohol favorites: budbod kabog, kalamay and peanut kisses

Bohol is Cebu’s nearby province .  In Bohol, my favorite is the budbod kabog.  Budbod is called “Suman” in Tagalog.   It is made of millet and comes in different flavors.  I also love their kalamay.  I eat  the gooey brown sugar by itself or pair it with bread.  Bohol’s Peanut Kisses (egg white cookies )are are exported worldwide.

 

                              

Bacolod’s Piaya            Iloilo’s Pinasugbo or Consilva     Dumaguete’s Silvanas

My friend brings paiya from Bacolod.  They are the best.  The brown sugar with sesame seed filling is thick and is just sweet enough.  Pinagsubo from Iloilo  is good as a dessert after a meal of lechon.  Pinasugbo is made of slices of banana dipped in brown sugar. The best pinagsubo is just soft and chewy.  My favorite pasalubong from my friend from Dumaguete are several boxes of San Rival Bakeshop silvanas. So far, these are the best silvanas I have tasted.  Best refrigerated.

So there they are — Visayan delicacies.  Next: Mindanao.

Photos researched from the Internet.