Because of the constant presence of rice and egg in most Pinoy breakfasts, we Filipinos, with all our wit and creativity, came up with our own name for it: the -silog meals, prefixed with whatever your meat choice is.
So that's meat + SInangag (fried rice) + itLOG.
If you're eating tapa, it's tapsilog.
If it's tocino, tocilog.
If longganisa, longsilog.
Smart, right? Not only does this define the most important (or at least the first) meal of the day, it also gives our breakfast favorites a brand of their own.
There are now variants like litsilog (for litson), chicksilog (for chicken), and even spamsilog (for spam).
While the egg and rice are the essentials, the meat is what would make the dish special.
Take for example, tapa.
When cooking tapa, you want just the right balance between salty and sweet.
Some want it in chunks or bite-size pieces; some want it in shreds.
A special sauce can be concocted to go with the dish, but most of the time spicy vinegar is enough.
Now, all this talk about breakfast and tapsilog is probably making you hungry.
I forgot to mention the best part: Pinoy breakfasts are best taken at any time of the day.
There is no time limit when it comes to some good ol' tapsilog.
Filipinos love their own food and would gladly feast on them, any time of the day.
One factor that explains why Filipinos just love eating breakfast food anytime of the day is their love for rice.
Breakfast for Filipinos just wouldn't be complete without it.
Rice amongst many Filipino favorites just keeps the energy up all day.
This is why Filipinos are often found looking for rice meals wherever they go around the world.
Any dish is a feast when enjoyed with a cup of rice, after all, feasting is not new and rare for Filipinos.
The Filipino spirit makes every day a reason to celebrate a feast.
The famous Tapsilog just reminds us of the goodness of Filipino food and that we should not veer away from the chances to discover so much more from Filipino food.
Let yourself learn and discover a deep love For Filipino food and you might just be able to unravel some little-known magic behind it.
So, what are you waiting for? Fry up an egg, some rice, and some tapa, and have yourself a delicious breakfast right now, no matter what time it is.