THE Philippines, which is famous for its adobo, has beaten Italy to be named second best food destination in the world behind Taiwan in an open Facebook poll conducted by CNN.
Taiwan received 8,242 votes while the Philippines got 1,528 votes.
Adobo, a favorite comfort food in the Philippines, was cited in the CNN article.
"[It] is an ubiquitous dish whipped up in every household in the Philippines," the article said.
"It's Mexican in origin, but Filipinos found that cooking meat (often chicken and pork) in vinegar, salt, garlic, pepper, soy sauce and other spices, was a practical way to preserve meat without refrigeration," it added.
CNN also cited lechon (roast pig), which is the country's "most popular party guest."
"An entire pig is spit-roasted over coals, with the crisp, golden-brown skin served with liver sauce, the most coveted part."
Taiwan was said to have a simple culinary philosophy: eat often and eat well.
One of Taiwan's best foods is a bowl of beef noodles, which CNN said, is the best way to dive into Taiwan's food scene.
Italy landed in the third spot with 810 votes. The country is famous for its arancini, pizza, parmesan cheese, and variation of pasta.
"Italian food has enslaved taste buds around the globe for centuries, with its zesty tomato sauces, those clever things they do with wheat flour and desserts that are basically vehicles for cream," CNN said.
Rounding out the top 10 best food destinations in the world are Thailand (470 votes), Japan (443 votes), Malaysia (265 votes), Hong Kong (236 votes), India (205 votes), Greece (167 votes), and Vietnam (162 votes).(Ma. Monica Padillo, UST intern/Sunnex)