I'm half Filipino; my mother is from Manila, Philippines and also comes from a huge family, so I've had my fair share of delicious food. Almost anyone who becomes acquainted with our family quickly gets introduced to Filipino cuisine, and honestly, it's difficult not to like everything that's served to you.

In the event that you ever find yourself about to eat some of this food, it might help to know what you're eating. Here are a few of my favorite Filipino foods:

1. Pancit

An outwardly simple noodle dish, mixed with vegetables and chicken, that a majority of people enjoy at first taste, Filipino or not.

2. Lechon Kawali

An all-time favorite that utilizes what I find to be the best cut of pork...pork belly. It's usually served with dipping sauces like Tomas' All Purpose sauce or sweet chili sauce.

3. Bistek

The Filipino version of this Mexican dish is usually made with sirloin and sauteed onions that are slowly cooked in soy sauce and calamansi juice.

4. Lumpia

These small egg rolls make a great side dish or appetizer treat. They're normally filled with pork and vegetables such as carrot and cabbage, and can be served with a side of sweet chili sauce.

5. Menudo

This is not the same as the Mexican soup! There is no tripe to be found here and it consists of different ingredients all together. Filipino menudo is typically a stew made with pork and vegetables like bell peppers, potatoes and carrots.

6. Adobo

Filipino adobo can be made with chicken, pork or both, usually marinated in vinegar, soy sauce and garlic and is cooked slowly to tender perfection.

7. Afritada

Afritada is a red stew that can be made with beef, pork or chicken mixed with many vegetables like carrots, bell peppers, potatoes and peas.

8. Arroz Caldo

Arroz caldo is a personal favorite of mine, especially during the winter time when it's cold outside. It's a savory rice porridge mixed with chicken and ginger, usually topped with green onion and an egg, though the latter is optional.

9. Tinola

Tinola is a chicken-based soup, served with vegetables like onions, chayote and tomato.

10. Nilaga

Nilaga is similar to Tinola, only it is traditionally made with beef instead of chicken and has vegetables like potatoes and cabbage.

11. Sinigang

Sinigang is another soup, but unlike the aforementioned ones, the broth has a more sour flavor due to one of its main ingredients, tamarind. It can be cooked with almost any meat (seafood, beef, chicken, pork, etc.) and vegetables like bok choy, cabbage and green beans.

12. Spaghetti (Filipino Style!)

While it doesn't necessarily have a distinctive name, it certainly has its distinctive features. Unlike traditional Italian spaghetti, Filipino spaghetti usually has a sweeter sauce and, instead of meatballs, we use hot dogs!

13. Kare Kare

This one happens to be my brother's favorite dish. It's most distinctive feature? The savory peanut sauce. It's usually made with oxtail and pork hocks, as well as tripe and vegetables like long green beans and eggplant.

14. Palabok

Palabok is another noodle dish like Pancit, only this one is usually made with different noodles and has several toppings like egg, fried garlic, green onion, shrimp, crushed pork rhines and green onion.

15. Tuyo

Tuyo refers to salted dried fish, typically herring, that has a very...unique smell when cooked. My mom likes to call it "stinky fish" for that very reason. I've personally gotten used to the smell, my dad...not so much. It's delicious, though, and is a common breakfast favorite within my mom's side of the family.

16. Pinakbet

Since I've added my brother's favorite, why not add my mother's favorite as well? Pinakbet is a medley of vegetables like okra, eggplant, green beans, squash, bitter melon and many others. It is sometimes served with pork and is mixed with fish or shrimp paste for a unique flavor.

17. Bicol Express

Bicol Express is a pork stew, made with long chilis, onions, shrimp paste, garlic and mixed with coconut milk to give it a creamy texture.

18. Tokwa't Baboy

This is another favorite of mine, and only recently did I have the true version of this dish, which includes pigs ears. Yes, you read me correctly. This dish is usually made with onions, pork belly, fried tofu and pigs ears in a vinegar and soy sauce marinade.

19. Dinuguan

My all time favorite...also probably one of the ones people are the most unsure about at first glance! It may not look as great, and it may not sound as great when you find out what's in it, but trust me, it smells and tastes absolutely delicious. For everyone elses' sake, I'll say it's made with pork. You can look into the details later. :)

20. Biko

Biko is a sticky rice treat, made from coconut milk and brown sugar. It can be topped with caramel or latik, which is basically toasted coconut milk crumbs.

21. Halo-Halo

It's a major favorite among both children and adults alike. Made with several ingredients like sweet red beans, ube (purple yam) and mango ice cream, flan and many fruits, it's a treat that can easily bring out your inner child.

22. Taho

My favorite snack and dessert. Honestly, I feel like I could eat this all the time and never get tired of it (but that probably wouldn't be too healthy for me...shh...) It's basically silken tofu and tapioca balls in a sweet warm vanilla sugar syrup. It's so popular in the Philippines that numerous vendors are often out and about selling it at all hours of the day!