This dish is comprised of pork cooked with a generous amount of Coconut milk and chilies. No wonder the name of this dish was derived from a Philippine region (Bicol) wherein Coconuts are abundant and the use of chilies is emphasized in most local meals.
After doing some research, I learned that this dish did not originate from the Bicol region at all. Contrary to its name, Bicol express was actually conceptualized and first cooked by Ms. Cely Kalaw in her Manila restaurant sometime during the late 60′s to the early 70′s. Based on an article written by Angela De Leon entitled Soul Train: The Unlikely Beginnings Of A Beloved Filipino Dish (published in Chile Pepper Magazine last October 2006), Ms. Kalaw toned down the heat on her Taro dish (this could be “Laing”) after receiving complains from some customers. However, she knew that other customers wanted the Taro dish to be hot and spicy so she invented another amazingly spicy hot dish that would best compliment the Taro. Thus, Bicol Express was born.
But how was she able to come up with the name? As per Angela’s article, the taro incident and new spicy dish invention happened in just one day. Apparently, Ms. Kalaw finished cooking the new dish but still cannot think of any name for it. As lunch time drew nearer, she was getting anxious because the customers will soon flock-in and she has yet to name her newest masterpiece. At that moment, she heard the daily train to Bicol ramble by the window. It was the light bulb moment that she was waiting for.
Ingredients:
6 cups coconut milk
2 lbs pork, cut into strips
¾ cup Shrimp Paste
1 tbsp Garlic, minced
6 pieces Thai chili pepper
½ cup Ginger, grated
1 large onion, cubed
2 long chili pepper
2 tsp cooking oil
Salt and Pepper
Watch the cooking video:
Cooking Procedure:
1. Sauté the garlic, onion, and ginger
2. Add the pork and continue cooking for 5 to 7 minutes
3. Place the shrimp paste in and cook for 5 minutes
4. Add the Thai and long hot pepper followed by the coconut milk
5. Mix all the ingredients well and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes
6. Add salt and pepper to taste
7. Serve Hot. Enjoy!
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the bet tlaga luto mo. marami pong salamat. malaking tulong to.
dipa ako naka try mag cook ng bicol express,but after i saw ur vid. in pinoychannel.tv i-try ko mag luto kokopyahin ko mga menu mo:)
God bless & more cooking vid. pa….gud luck!
Thnk you
kuya, penge naman recipe ng sauteed mung bean sprout o ginisang togue plssssssssss. i love bicol express really! thnx for this recipe
wow sarap nman, i followed the instructions.. yummy ! thanks a lot po!
love the music…very nostalgic!!! VST & Co.
You rock!
pwede po b lagyan ng malunggay yan at okra??
hi kuya!isa po yan sa magandang lutuin dito sa korea dahil marami ang sili dito at panlaban din sa lamig kapag winter at syempre yummy talaga.kaya sigurado po sa sunday day off ko yan ang menu ko for my husband.More Power and thank you so much……
ay da best kuya itong bicol express mo. nagyabang ako sa asawa ko na ako ang magluluto ng dinner kc nga pinaghandaan ko itong recipe mo. ang dali lang sundan at ang finished product…ehem nakangiti asawa ko. ulitin ko daw po. syempre pinagmalaki kong turo ito ni panlasang pinoy. salamat po ulit kuya.
hi, there. thx for sharing your talent in cooking. this is how i cook my bicol express here in Malaysia, and everybody loves it, always patok ika nga! On friday, i’m gonna cook this one again for another potluck get together among friends (somebody requested,
). p.s i do add chilli flakes for extra super dooper kick! 
kuya, anong part ng baboy ang ginamit nio?
kuyaa sasarap naman nito pwede na ko magtayo ng catering bussiness using your recipes gosh siguradong marami kong magiging customers bait mo naman thanks ha for sharing your recipes kung lahat ng misis magvisit sa site mo wala ng husband ang magtyatyaga sa luto ng asawa nilang walang lasa at lahat ng dalaga pwede ng magasawa hahaha wag ka magsawa tumulong at magturong magluto
kuya, pano poh ba gawin yung iga/tuyo sa gata……….?
gusto koh poh kc tuyo eh, walang masyado gata…
thanks poh..
kuya sinundan ko lahat…sarap kulang lang ako ng sili! pero thank you po =)
maraming salamat sa iyong recipe…bigla ako natutong magluto…pahintulot nga pala na ilagay ko sa akin website ang iyong blog.
the food was great..ang saarap the recipes helped me a lot thank you for uploading all the recipes..i will deffinetly recommend this site to all my friends
kuya pwede bang walang bagoong sa bicol express? kasi ayaw ng asawa ko ung amoy ng magoong. Anu ang gagawin ko? gusto ko talaga try lutuin yan… anyway, thanks sa post nato…
i loved all ur recipes,i’m a massage therapist here in california n i told my filipino clients about u ur clling n they said they will check ur website. thnks 4 sharing ur recipes. God bless u n ur family
Thank you for commenting Josie and for spreading the word.
hi kuya,
pwede po ba beef ang gamitin instead of pork?at saka lagyan ko ng string bean o green bean??thanks po i always injoyed watching ur cooking video,nagtry na po ako maglotu ng iba nyong recipe..thanks po
hello po. lately ko lang nakita ang website nyo. sobrang naging fan nyo po ako. gud pm.
Hi joan, welcome. Enjoy your stay!
Hi Kuya,
This video woud really help me a lot… especially i was getting off this week. I was planning to cook for my family and this is the main dish… Can’t wait for them to criticize my cooking… hahaha
Thanks po….
Hi po kuya,thanks sa mga recipe nyo super sarap mga food,hilig ko rin magluto ng food till makita ko site nyo sa youtube naging loyal na ako,anyway i really want to cook bicol express for my husband,but the problem is he is local white Canadian he doesnt like the shrimp paste,ano pwede isubstitute?he told me the filipino food i cook getting better and better each night daw nyahaha!!sabi ko sa recipe mo..Thanks for the recipe again it helps alot,my husband excited everynight to come home for my new surprise meal..hehehe!
I tried this recipe yesterday and I’m very satisfied with it! yehey! I never really cook and so I thanked this site for the very detailed instructions. I will surely comeback for more recipes. ^_^
hi kuya, thank u po pag upload n2
HI SIR,
UR VIDEOS HELPED ME A LOT,LHAT NG NILUTO K SA BIRTHDAY NG ANAK K D2 K NKUHA.AND MY FRIENDS R REALLY AMAZE DHIL MARUNONG DAW PO PLA AKO MGLUTO.MRAMING SLAMAT SYO.GODBLESS U & MORE POWER
KUYA,
sana gumawa ka ng cooking book ng lahat ng filipino recipe mo! ako first costumer mo. BIGGEST FAN FROM ENGLAND! hahaha
Salamat po sa mga guides na ganito. Nakaka inspire magluto dahil po sa inyo. Malinaw po ang pagkaka narrate, malumanay magsalita, malinaw ang video at malinaw po ang pagpapakita ng mga steps.
ano po ba ang mas mura ang bumili na ng ready made na data o yung bibili talaga mng niyog tapos kayo ang maggagata
hi kuya..is it ok if i will use beef instead of meat ng baboy po? i really miss eating this dish na talga po..i miss the meat of baboy kaya lng d nmn pwede dto s KSA ksi bawal… more power po and more recipes to share po… dahil po sa site nyo po..naluluto ko na po ung ibat ibang dish n namimiss ko sa pinas…
actually bicol express was first cook and eaten in tutuban train station, was invented by some kainan there and cely kalaw must have copied it from there! sa karindirya lang naimbento po ang bicol express by mistake ng taong alang pangalan. tapos pinangalanan ng bicol express base on the train “bicol express”.. peace
Vanjo,
I have been a regular reader of your blog, and I have learned a lot from your posts… ang gagaling and ang gaganda… and for this, maraming salamat. However, your comment that this dish was invented by Ms. Kalaw or Ingo’s posit that this was invented in some kainan in Tutuban are both off the mark. I am almost 70 years old now and I have been enjoying this dish since I was a young boy in Bicol in the 50s. Maraming salamat and God Bless.
hehe sorry po if I disapointed you pero sinulat ko lang ang narinig kong kwento and Tutuban is one of the oldest PNR station sa atin so I wont be surprice if this was true.
great website! it has added to my repertoire of recipes….. I was really getting fed up with always cooking adobo, sinigang or nilaga…. now, i can cook other stuff as well and its sure to taste great… anyways, just wanted to ask if i could use dried chili flakes instead of fresh chilies in the bicol express? thanks…
Noted Francine, pakiabangan ang mga next recipe features natin para sa iyong Ginisang togue. Thanks for dropping by.
You are most welcome Terrie.
Thanks chinky sa magandang feed back. Mukang nakakapagpaganda pala ng relasyon ng mag asawa itong ating blog. Baka maging useful ito lalo na sa mga mag asawa na hindi masyadong nagiimikan
oo nga po. kaso baka di din mag-imikan kuya kung kumakain na kc sa sarap ng ulam e kanya-kanya muna.hahaha.salamat talaga kuya.
Hehe oo nga naman. Welcome chinky.
thanks to this site, i don’t have to eat boring food anymore.