Cebu Lechon

Lechon exists across the Philippines, but Cebu's version is the one people argue is best, and the difference is the stuffing. The cavity is packed with lemongrass, spring onion, garlic, chilli and salt before the pig goes on the pole, so the meat is seasoned from the inside while the skin dries and blisters over charcoal. It is served without the liver sauce used elsewhere, because a well-made one does not need it. Carcar, an hour south of Cebu City, is where the roadside stalls cluster and where locals stop to buy by the kilo; Talisay claims its own reputation. Skin is sold separately and goes first.

What you actually see

• The skin - blistered to glass over charcoal, cracked off in sheets and sold apart from the meat.
• The lemongrass stuffing - the cavity packed with aromatics, the smell released when the pig is opened.
• Carcar's stall row - a line of roadside vendors selling by the kilo to passing cars.
• Chopping to order - the whole pig broken down on a block in front of you, weighed and bagged.

When to go

Year-round. Late morning to early afternoon is when the pigs come off the fire and the skin is at its best; by evening what is left has softened. Fiestas and Christmas are when whole pigs appear at every table and the roasters work through the night. Buy from a stall with turnover rather than one with a pig sitting all day.

Honest expectations

It is very rich and very fatty, and half a kilo defeats most people. Skin loses its crackle within an hour, so anything bought to take away is a different dish by the time you eat it. Carcar is an hour south of the city on a busy road, and the stalls are basic roadside setups with plastic stools. Prices per kilo are higher for visitors unless you ask first.

Nearby

Carcar's own heritage houses and market are alongside the stalls; Cebu City is an hour north.