Adobo Versus Sinigang

The 'sour broth' of sinigang makes this dish so irresistible to the Filipino palate and even to the foreign tongue. It has a comforting effect to the hungry tummy and tired soul of the one who bites into the tender meat and crunchy veggies, and sipping the revitalizing soup. The late Doreen Fernandez said in her article 'Why Sinigang?,' "... sinigang seems to me the dish most representative of Filipino taste. We like the lightly boiled, the slightly soured... It is adaptable to all tastes, to all classes and budgets, to seasons and availability." Most of us can agree that a piping hot sinigang is best paired with a steaming rice alongside with a cold refreshing soda. We first drench our mouth with few spoonfuls of soup or even drown our rice with soup before indulging into that comforting meal. Sinigang is a very versatile dish. This is because of the many ingredients and cooking methods that can be used. Through time, it has also e

The word adobo came from the Spanish word adobar which means 'marinade' or 'pickling sauce.' We Filipinos cook this dish as a way to preserve food. Vinegar is one of its main ingredients which preserves the dish because of its acidity. The use of soy sauce as an ingredient was introduced to us by Chinese traders earlier in our history. Many say that the adobo is not complete without the inclusion of bay leaves (dahon ng laurel) and black pepper (paminta). There are countless versions of adobo because of the many ingredients and cooking methods that can be used. Some of the more popular versions are the following: Chicken Adobo (Adobong Manok) – Chicken braised in vinegar and soy sauce. Pork Adobo (Adobong Baboy) – Pork braised in vinegar and soy sauce. Chicken Pork Adobo (Adobong Manok at Baboy) – Combination of chicken and pork braised in vinegar and soy sauce. Adobong Pusit (Squid Adobo) – Squids braised in vinegar and soy sauce. Adobo sa Gata (Adobo i