3 Filipino dishes to recommend to foreigners that ARE NOT adobo
Adobo undoubtedly claims the top spot as the most iconic food in Filipino cuisine. The dish is relatively easy-to-acquire ingredients. The simple cooking method made it easy to emulate, especially for OFWs and immigrant Filipinos in other countries. As much as we love adobo, however, we have to admit, Filipino cuisine is much more vibrant and unique than we care to admit!
Below are dishes that can go toe-to-toe with Adobo, sure to leave a mark on non-Filipinos’ tastebuds!
Sisig
Also known as the King of Pulutan, sisig can be an entree paired with rice quickly became a Filipino staple despite the modern version’s recent conception. The tangy, smoky, and spicy flavors of the sisig originated from Lucia Cunanan’s kitchen. After grilling pig ear cartilage, face, and jowls, Aling Lucing fried the meat with pig brains and onions.
Calamansi juice completes it with the sour component of the sisig, topped with an egg and served on a sizzling plate. Sisig is an affordable viand for everyone, regardless of status can be found in karinderias, beer houses, and schools. Now being served in various countries as “Sizzling,” the dish is a competitive choice to introduce foreigners to Filipino cuisine.
Sinigang
When adobo gets hailed as the best Filipino staple, sinigang often comes into question. It is a light savory dish often soured with tamarind. But, guava, miso, and kamias (bilimbi) can also be used as substitutes. Green, leafy vegetables such as water spinach (kangkong), beans, okras, green chili, and radishes are added to the broth. Pork, beef, shrimp, and sometimes fish are the common choice of protein.
Filipinos love pork sinigang as a hearty dish reminding them of cold rainy days and home. The rich soup envelops the mouth with pleasant sourness and warmth. If cooked correctly, singing can charm the international cooking scene -and it did! Sinigang topped the ranks in Taste Atlas’ Best Vegetable Dish in the world back in 2021, which made Filipinos swell with pride.
Afritada
The name might have been of Hispanic origins, but Filipinos made sure that the afritada make the Philippines its home. Afritada consists of tomato-based sauce with chicken as its main protein, although pork and beef can be substitutes. Potatoes, carrots, and bell peppers enrich the sauce and add volume, making it similar to stews found in western countries.
The afritada’s tomato sauce is familiar in international cuisine, which makes it a competent entree dish to represent the Philippines. The meaty and savory sauce balanced delicately by the meat and vegetable pairs really well with rice. The Adobo’s major appeal comes from its simplicity, the Afritada will take things up a notch with its compact flavors!
Any of these three dishes provides a deep dive into the world of flavors that is Filipino cuisine.
However, more than flavor and appeal, these three staples tell a story about Filipinos and our culture. Sisig embodies Filipino resourcefulness, as we use ingredients that are supposed to be scrapped and transformed into something delicious. Sinigang, on the other hand, teaches us about the comfort of home, the closeness Filipino households cherish since it is a meal that every family member loves. Lastly, Afritada speaks about heritage and its transformation, as we transform a colonial meal into something ours alone.
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