‘Lechon’ or suckling pig, just the sheer mention of the name brings excitement for any Filipino and foreign guests who have gotten a taste of this national dish. Especially since its presence almost always guarantees a festive atmosphere.

Also, Lechon has long been considered as the star of the feast and it is always present and sought out during any festivities, gathering, and holidays.

But what is ‘lechon’?

Lechon is a pork dish that involves using the entire pig or piglet (Lechon de Leche) that has been impaled in a bamboo branch and is slowly roasted over charcoal.

However, the preparation of this classical dish can take a long time and it will require practiced and proper techniques to guarantee that one can get a tender meat with a golden crispy skin finale.

Cebu’s Lechon, it is stuffed with lemongrass, a local variety of banana known as “saba,” green onions, sliced onions, whole cloves of garlic, cracked black pepper, lots of salt, and other condiments. It is the stuffing that gives the Cebuano lechon its unique crispy and sweet taste that is loved by both locals and even foreigners.

** Roasted Pork Belly or Lechon Liempo is one of the dishes that everyone enjoy nowadays. This Lechon Pork belly is cooked using the oven; it is different from the traditional way of preparing lechon, which is to roast over a bed of hot charcoal and continuously rotate until the skin gets brown and crunchy.