black pepper, glutinous rice okoy, kinchay, peanuts, and sliced hard-boiled eggs. Some regions may also add sliced bilimbi fruits (kamias). Pancit dishes are generally named after the types of noodles used. The most commonly used noodles are canton (egg noodles, usually round), bihon (rice vermicelli), lomi (thick egg noodles), miki (soft yellow egg noodles, usually square in cross-section), misua or miswa (wheat vermicelli), palabok (yellow cornstarch noodles), sotanghon (glass noodles), and odong (yellow flour noodles). They can also be named after their method of cooking, their origin, and their main ingredients. Pancit is considered both an everyday staple and a comfort food. Pancit can be eaten alone, but they are also frequently eaten paired with white rice, bread (usually pandesal), and puto (steamed rice cakes). Pancit dishes are commonly served during gatherings, events festivals, and religious activities, due to the ease in which they can be cooked in large quantities. Nancy Reyes Lumen of the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism writes that a belief originating from Chinese Filipinos holds that noodles should be eaten on one's birthday. They are therefore commonly served at birthday celebrations and Chinese restaurants nationwide often have "birthday noodles" listed on the menu. Pancit dishes Batchoy – a noodle soup made with pork offal, crushed pork cracklings, chicken stock, beef loin and round noodles. Its origins can be traced to the district of La Paz, Iloilo City in the Philippines Maki mi – thick pork tenderloin soup originating from the Chinese-Filipino community of Binondo, Manila. Pancit Abra – common in Northern Luzon, particularly in the province of Abra. A variant of Pancit Miki, in either soupy or fried version. Pancit alanganin – originated from Bocaue, Bulacan. It is made similarly to pancit canton but has a soupy broth with added milk. Pancit Bam-I – also known as Pancit Bisaya. A specialty originating in Cebu, with bihon (rice) and canton (wheat) noodles sautéed together. Pancit batchoy – Iloilo's stir-fried version of batchoy. Pancit Bato – is local to the Bicol Region; especially the town of Bato in Camarines Sur. The noodles are slightly toasted while it's still dry. Pancit bihon guisado – or simply pancit bihon (traditionally and historically also spelled as ) is the type usually associated with the word "pancit", very thin rice noodles (rice vermicelli) fried with soy sauce some citrus, possibly with patís, and some variation of sliced meat and chopped vegetables. The