No, it doesn't taste like chicken

Whoever said that frog tastes like chicken either has never eaten frog, has a limited palate experience (if there is ever a term like this), or is just at a loss for a comparison! This frog is so much more tastier, tender and moist than any chicken I've ever put into my mouth. It is stuffed with a spicy and rather tangy mixture of pork and spices and deep fried. Best eaten with a splash of spicy vinegar.

Betute tugak (or stuffed frog for English-speakers out there) is a traditional Kapampangan dish. Pampanga is a well-known Philippine foodie destination because of its uniqueness. It was my first time to eat this and I would highly recommend going out there if you're up for a foodie adventure!

According to this blog here's a bit more about the dish:

Farmers in Pampanga used to depend on rain water to irrigate their farms. Children would then catch the frogs, which came out during the rainy season, while their parents cultivated the land or planted rice. Outwitting the frogs has been a traditional "family bonding" ritual.

Betute is a play of words on butete, which means "tadpole" in the local dialect. Betute is the entire frog stuffed with minced pork - so it looks like a very fat frog. It is then deep-fried in oil.

Curious as to how it's prepared? You can check out this little photo story by Edwin Tuazon Garcia of how betute tugak is prepared. {And yes, unfortunately a few frogs were indeed hurt (and eaten) in the process of making this!}

We drove out from Manila and it took about 2 hours to get to San Fernando, Pampanga. Well worth the drive! There were more unusual dishes but I think talking about betute tugak is more than enough for this post.

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