Celebrate Filipino heritage with pancit — a flavorful noodle dish that brings together tender meats, crisp vegetables, and savory seasonings. Enjoyed at gatherings and everyday meals alike, pancit’s vibrant colors and comforting taste symbolize long life and togetherness, making it a beloved staple in Filipino homes and celebrations.
Pancit is a celebrated Filipino noodle dish with roots that trace back to Chinese influence during the early periods of trade in the Philippines. Over time, it has become a symbol of Filipino culinary tradition, adapted into numerous regional varieties such as pancit canton and pancit bihon.
Preparation typically involves stir-frying noodles with a medley of ingredients: sliced chicken, pork, or shrimp are sautéed with garlic and onions, then tossed with crisp vegetables like carrots, cabbage, and green beans. Soy sauce and sometimes a splash of calamansi juice add savory and tangy notes.
What makes pancit especially interesting is its significance in Filipino culture—it is often served at birthdays and celebrations, as noodles are believed to symbolize long life and prosperity. The dish’s colorful presentation and harmonious blend of textures and flavors make it both festive and comforting, loved by generations across the Philippines.
This pancit canton at bihon recipe from Panlasang Pinoy requires multiple steps of sautéing, simmering, and tossing to layer all the ingredients. The dish boasts a complex, deeply savory, and comforting flavor profile, thanks to the combination of pork, chicken, and shrimp, which creates a rich base for the noodles. Seasoned primarily with soy sauce and a shrimp cube, the taste is robustly umami and salty, complemented by the fresh crunch of the mixed vegetables.
Pancit Canton at Bihon
Ingredients
- 2 ounces pancit canton
- 2 ounces pancit bihon
- 1 Shrimp Cube
- 8 to 10 pieces medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 4 ounces pork shoulder, sliced into small pieces
- 4 ounces boiled and shredded chicken breast
- 2 cups chopped cabbage
- 1 medium carrot, julienne
- 1 ½ cup sliced green beans
- ½ cup chopped parsley
- 4 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 medium yellow or white onion, sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, crushed
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 4 tablespoons cooking oil
- Water (4 to 6 cups)
Directions
- Soak the bihon noodles in water for 10 minutes. Drain the water and set the soaked bihon aside.
- Heat a cooking pot and then pour 3 tablespoons of cooking oil. Once the oil is hot, pan-fry the shrimp for 1 minute per side. Remove the shrimp from the pot and set aside.
- Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of cooking oil to the pot. Sauté the sliced onion and crushed garlic until the onion becomes soft and translucent.
- Add the sliced pork and continue to sauté until it turns light brown. Then, add the shredded chicken and sauté for 3 minutes.
- Pour in the soy sauce and approximately 4 to 6 cups of water. Stir and let it boil.
- Add the Knorr Shrimp Cube and stir. Cover the pot and continue to cook in low heat for 20 minutes. (Add more water, if needed, to maintain enough liquid for the noodles.)
- Add the carrots, green beans, and cabbage. Stir, cover, and cook for 2 minutes.
- Put the pancit canton in the pot. Cover and let the noodles absorb the steam from the boiling liquid for 3 minutes.
- Toss the pancit canton with the other ingredients.
- Add the pancit bihon. Toss some more until all ingredients are well blended and the liquid has been absorbed completely.
- Put the pan-fried shrimp back into the pot and sprinkle with ground black pepper. Toss one last time.
- Transfer the finished dish to a serving plate and enjoy.
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