Another Bicolano favorite is the famous laing — known as natong in the region — gabi (taro leaves) cooked in coconut milk and may contain deboned daing (salted fish) or prawns . Laing can be served spicy or not, the level of its spiciness depending on how much chili the cook puts in or how long the dish sits before being consumed, the chili’s hotness constantly infusing the rest of the ingredients.

It is usually served as a side dish but some Bicolanos also consider it as an entre. It is also usually served with Bicol Express as foodies may want to spice the meal up an extra notch