Bisaya Food Vocabulary: A Delicious Guide to Cebuano Cuisine Terms

Introduction: Food Is Culture

In the Philippines, food is more than sustenance—it's how families bond, friends celebrate, and strangers become friends. The Bisaya-speaking regions are home to some of the country's most beloved dishes, from Cebu's world-famous lechon to Davao's fresh seafood.

Understanding Bisaya food vocabulary enhances every meal, whether you're navigating a local market, ordering at a carinderia (small eatery), or learning to cook traditional dishes. This guide covers essential Cebuano cuisine terms that will make your Filipino food experience richer and more delicious.

Get ready to discover the language of Bisaya food—it's going to be lami kaayo (very delicious)!

Basic Food Vocabulary

Essential Words

Pagkaon (pahg-KAH-on) - Food

Tubig (TOO-big) - Water

Kan-on (KAHN-on) - Cooked rice (the staple!)

Bugas - Uncooked rice

Karne - Meat

Isda (EES-dah) - Fish

Manok (mah-NOK) - Chicken

Baboy (BAH-boy) - Pork

Baka (BAH-kah) - Beef

Itlog (eet-LOG) - Egg

Utan (OO-tahn) - Vegetables

Prutas - Fruit

Describing Food

Lami! (lah-MEE) - Delicious!

Lami kaayo! - Very delicious!

Tam-is - Sweet

Parat - Salty

Aslom - Sour

Pait - Bitter

Halang - Spicy

Init - Hot (temperature)

Bugnaw - Cold

Presko - Fresh

Lata - Stale

Hilaw - Raw/unripe

Hinog - Ripe

Cooking Methods in Bisaya

Ways to Cook

Lutoon - To cook

Sugba / Sinugba - Grilled

Prito / Pritong - Fried

Nilat-an - Boiled

Tinola - Soup-based dish

Ginisa / Gisado - Sautéed

Inihaw - Roasted/Grilled

Kilaw / Kinilaw - Raw/cured (like ceviche)

Adobo - Braised in vinegar and soy sauce

Nilaga - Boiled soup

Tinuwa - Soup (clear broth)

Common Cooking Commands

Lutuon nako ni. - I'll cook this.

Sugbaa ang isda. - Grill the fish.

Pritoa ang itlog. - Fry the egg.

Lat-i ang tubig. - Boil the water.

Gisaha ang utan. - Sauté the vegetables.

Iconic Cebuano Dishes

The Famous Lechon

Cebu is internationally renowned for its lechon (roasted pig):

Lechon Cebu - Cebu-style roasted pig

Lechon baboy - Roasted pig

Lechon manok - Roasted chicken

Lechon kawali - Crispy pan-fried pork belly

Lechon paksiw - Lechon cooked in vinegar sauce (for leftovers)

Puwerte ka lami sa lechon! - The lechon is extremely delicious!

Seafood Specialties

Kinilaw - Filipino ceviche (raw fish in vinegar)

Sinugbang isda - Grilled fish

Tinolang isda - Fish soup with ginger

Sinugbang pusit - Grilled squid

Sweet and sour fish - Isda nga sweet and sour

Gambas - Shrimp in garlic

Sutukil - Sugba (grill), Tuwa (soup), Kilaw (ceviche) - a Cebu specialty where you choose your seafood and cooking method

Meat Dishes

Humba - Braised pork belly (Bisaya version of adobo)

Pochero - Meat and vegetable stew

Balbacua - Beef stew with tripe

Kadios, baboy, kag langka - Pigeon peas, pork, and jackfruit stew

Chorizo de Cebu - Cebuano sausage

Ngohiong - Fried spring rolls with ground pork

Soups and Stews

Tinolang manok - Chicken soup with papaya

Sinigang - Sour soup (tamarind-based)

Nilaga - Boiled beef/pork with vegetables

Utan bisaya - Bisaya vegetable soup

Munggo - Mung bean soup

KBL - Kadyos, Baboy, Langka (a classic Visayan dish)

Street Food

Pungko-pungko - Street food eaten while squatting on small stools

Ginabot - Chicharon (pork cracklings)

Ngohiong - Vegetable and meat spring rolls

Tuslob-buwa - Pig brain and liver dip (a Cebu specialty)

Proven - Deep-fried chicken intestines

Isaw - Grilled chicken or pork intestines

Betamax - Grilled blood cubes

Helmet - Grilled chicken heads

Adidas - Grilled chicken feet

Kwek-kwek - Battered fried quail eggs

Ordering Food in Bisaya

At a Restaurant

Menu, palihog. - Menu, please.

Unsa ang best seller ninyo? - What's your best seller?

Unsa ang special karon? - What's today's special?

Naa bay lechon? - Do you have lechon?

Usa ka order sa [dish]. - One order of [dish].

Duha ka serving, palihog. - Two servings, please.

Extra rice, palihog. - Extra rice, please.

Dili ko mokaon ug [ingredient]. - I don't eat [ingredient].

Dili kaayo halang/spicy. - Not too spicy.

Dietary Restrictions

Vegetarian ko. - I'm vegetarian.

Dili ko mokaon ug karne. - I don't eat meat.

Allergic ko sa [food]. - I'm allergic to [food].

Naa bay wala'y karne? - Is there anything without meat?

Naa bay seafood option? - Is there a seafood option?

Describing Your Preferences

Gusto ko ug [dish]. - I want [dish].

Mas gusto nako ang sinugba. - I prefer grilled.

Prito lang, palihog. - Just fried, please.

Daghan ug sabaw. - With lots of soup/sauce.

Diyutay lang ang sabaw. - Just a little soup/sauce.

Drinks (Ilimnon)

Common Beverages

Tubig - Water

Cold water - Bugnaw nga tubig

Kape - Coffee

Tsa - Tea

Gatas - Milk

Juice - Juice/Duga

Soft drinks - Soft drinks

Beer - Beer

Lambanog - Coconut wine

Tuba - Coconut sap wine

Ordering Drinks

Tubig lang, palihog. - Just water, please.

Usa ka kape. - One coffee.

Ice cold, palihog. - Ice cold, please.

Naa bay fresh juice? - Do you have fresh juice?

Usa ka baso. - One glass.

Usa ka bote. - One bottle.

Fruits (Prutas) of the Visayas

Tropical Fruits

Mangga - Mango

Saging - Banana

Papaya - Papaya

Pinya - Pineapple

Langka - Jackfruit

Durian - Durian (famous in Davao!)

Mangosteen - Mangosteen

Lanzones - Lanzones

Rambutan - Rambutan

Guyabano - Soursop

Calamansi - Philippine lime

Buко - Young coconut

Describing Fruits

Hinog na ba ni? - Is this ripe?

Tam-is ba ni? - Is this sweet?

Aslom pa. - Still sour.

Tam-is kaayo! - Very sweet!

Presko ni. - This is fresh.

At the Market (Merkado)

Buying Food

Pila ni? - How much is this?

Pila ang kilo? - How much per kilo?

Tagaan ko ug usa ka kilo. - Give me one kilo.

Tunga lang. - Just half.

Pilion nako. - I'll choose.

Kini lang. - Just this.

Balikan nako. - I'll come back.

Negotiating

Mahal kaayo! - Too expensive!

Pwede pa-tawad? - Can you lower the price?

Tubos na. - That's your lowest?

Sige, kuhaon nako. - Okay, I'll take it.

Eating Together: Dining Culture

Invitations to Eat

Kaon ta! - Let's eat!

This phrase embodies Filipino hospitality. It's customary to invite anyone present to eat with you.

Dali, kaon ta. - Come on, let's eat.

Sunod ka sa kaon. - Join us in eating.

Ayaw ug kaulaw, kaon ta. - Don't be shy, let's eat.

During the Meal

Mangayo ko ug kan-on. - I'll get some rice.

Pasa ang [dish], palihog. - Pass the [dish], please.

Gusto pa ka? - Do you want more?

Diyutay lang. - Just a little.

Daghan pa. - There's still plenty.

Lami kaayo ni! - This is so delicious!

After the Meal

Busog na ko. - I'm full.

Busog kaayo ko. - I'm very full.

Salamat sa pagkaon! - Thank you for the food!

Maayo kaayo ang pagkaon. - The food was really good.

Kinsa nagluto? Lami kaayo! - Who cooked? So delicious!

Traditional Bisaya Cooking Wisdom

Kitchen Terms

Kusina - Kitchen

Kaldero - Pot/cauldron

Kawali - Frying pan/wok

Sandok - Ladle

Kutsara - Spoon

Tinidor - Fork

Kutsilyo - Knife

Pinggan - Plate

Baso - Glass

Mangkok - Bowl

Cooking Tips in Bisaya

Ayaw pasobra ug asin. - Don't add too much salt.

Hinay-hinay lang ug init. - Low heat only.

Hulaton nga moluto. - Wait for it to cook.

Pagbantay, ayaw pasunog. - Be careful, don't burn it.

Conclusion: Eat Your Way to Fluency

Learning Bisaya food vocabulary is one of the most enjoyable ways to learn the language. Every meal becomes a lesson, every market visit an adventure, and every family gathering a chance to practice.

The next time you sit down to a plate of lechon or slurp a bowl of tinola, you'll appreciate not just the flavors but the rich language that describes them. Kaon ta! (Let's eat!)

Hungry for more Bisaya lessons? Visit TalkBisaya.com for comprehensive language guides, from basic greetings to advanced grammar. Start your delicious journey to Cebuano fluency today!