Laag-Laag sa Cebu (Part 20): A Taste of Cebu's Yummy Lechon Belly

A visit to Cebu will not be complete without tasting the world-famous lechon. So, during the first night of my 2016 Cebu trip, we went to SM City Cebu to finally taste Cebu’s original lechon belly.

Cebu’s lechon or roasted pig is loved for its crunchy skin and tasty meat. My co-worker claimed that Cebu’s lechon is much better than Luzon’s lechon, which she said is bland on the inside.

History of Cebu’s Lechon (Lechon History)

The word lechon implies that the lechon dish is of Spanish origin. In fact, lechon is widespread in former colonies of Spain like the Puerto Rico and Cuba. Lechon de leche, which literally means milk sucker, refers to the suckling pig that is roasted to yummy crispy perfection.



I read two blogs that claim that the lechon predates the coming of the Spanish colonists in the Philippines. They claimed that Antonio Pigafetta, Ferdinand Magellan’s chronicler, wrote that the Cebuanos offered the Spaniards pig, grilled fish, millet, rice cakes, and coconut. I read Pigafetta’s chronicle and I didn’t find any mention of roasted pig that fits the description of lechon. In short, there is a possibility that lechon didn’t predate the coming of Spaniards.

An article in GMA News Online said that the first lechoneros in Cebu came from Talisay City where they invented the now famous roasted pig and initially called it as inasal. Inasal is a Bisaya word that means cooked over hot coals. Nowadays, inasal is associated with roasted chicken while the roasted pig became lechon.

Lechon is a common dish throughout the Philippines and Manila and Luzon have its own versions of it. What set Cebu lechon apart is the fact that it is so yummy that it doesn’t require any sauce. The Cebu lechon captured the taste buds of the celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain, so much so, that he claimed that lechon is the “best pig ever”.

The yummy lechon belly o Cebu.

The idea of lechon belly was formed in the 1930s by a lechonero family in Balamban, Cebu. The yummy lechon belly was created because the lechoneros noticed that the belly of the lechon baboy was the first to be eaten by their customers. The lechon belly concept spread from Balamban and became the favorite lechon dish, particularly in Cebu's Original Lechon Belly restaurant.

There were few customers when we dined at the place. However, our food took a while to arrive. Looking at their staff preparing the lechon made my stomach grumble.

Our lechon belly arrived with puso or steamed rice wrapped in nipa leaves. Puso is common in the Visayas region and in Bisaya-dominated areas in Mindanao. I first tasted puso in Davao. I also tasted it during my first visit to Mactan Island.

Lechon belly and puso.

We also ordered pancit and other dishes but the star of the night is the lechon belly. We truly enjoyed its crispy skin and yummy meat. Too bad that we didn’t order plenty of lechon belly because my older co-workers are afraid of alta presyon.

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Read more of my latest adventure in the island of Cebu!

Laag-Laag sa Cebu (Part 19): Temple of Leah - The House of Vanity
Laag-Laag sa Cebu (Part 18): A Better Stay in Bayfront Hotel in Cebu
Laag-Laag sa Cebu (Part 17): A Great View of Cebu City from Tops Busay
Laag-Laag sa Cebu (Part 16): A Taste of Mandarin in Cebu City
Laag-Laag sa Cebu (Part 15): Taboan the Pasalubong Center of Cebu City
Laag-Laag sa Cebu (Part 14): My Accidental Visit to Mt. Carmel Church

Laag-Laag sa Cebu (Part 13): Another Visit to the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral
Laag-Laag sa Cebu (Part 12): Why Cebuanos Call Mama Mary as Birhen sa Regla?
Laag-Laag sa Cebu (Part 11): Sto. Niño Basilica - Mother and Head of All Churches of the Philippine Islands
Laag-Laag sa Cebu (Part 10): A Visit to the Fake(?) Magellan’s Cross
Laag-Laag sa Cebu (Part 9): The Story of Rajah Humabon - King of Cebu
Laag-Laag sa Cebu (Part 8): Calle Colon, the Oldest Street in the Philippines
Laag-Laag sa Cebu (Part 7): The Worst Cebu Hotel
Laag-Laag sa Cebu (Part 6): The Colorful Lighthouse of Lilo-an
Laag-Laag sa Cebu (Part 5): The Mysterious Church of Lilo-an
Laag-Laag sa Cebu (Part 4): Bagacay Point Lighthouse

Laag-Laag sa Cebu (Part 3): Feasting on Consolacion’s Fresh Talaba
Laag-Laag sa Cebu (Part 2): Finding Consolation in Consolacion Church

Laag-Laag sa Cebu (Part 1): My Boat Ride Under the Bridges of Mactan Channel

A Foretaste of Cebu in Mactan Cebu International Airport

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History of the lechon and other information in this post was obtained from the following sources:

Lechon is 'best pork ever'- TIME magazine in ABS-CBN News
The First Voyage Round the World/Pigafetta's Account of Magellan's Voyage in WikiSource
A brief history of the yummy Cebu lechon in GMA News

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