The Adobo Chronicles

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 in Coconut Cream) – Chicken and/or pork adobo with coconut cream (kakang gata) as the added ingredient.
Adobong Puti (White Adobo) – Chicken and/or pork adobo in which the soy sauce is replaced by salt.
Crispy Adobo Flakes (Adobong Malutong) - Chicken and/or pork adobo shreds fried in cooking oil to make it crispy.

Reference:

Estrella, Serna. "Adobo: The History of A National Favorite." 22 July 2013. Web. 31 May 2016. <http://www.pepper.ph/the-history-of-adobo/>.

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The Sour Notes

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

Chicken Adobo (Adobong Manok)

Cooking chicken adobo is very simple and easy. Just don’t forget to include the garlic, pepper, bay leaves, salt, and vinegar in your ingredients. The authentic chicken adobo should include all of these ingredients. Here’s a simple recipe you might want to try at home. Ingredients: 1 kilogram chicken 1/2 cup vinegar 1/4 cup of soy sauce crushed garlic pepper and salt to taste 2 bay leaves water cooking oil Cooking Procedure: Combine the garlic, pepper, salt, bay leaves, and chicken. Pour-in the vinegar and soy sauce then marinate. Add enough water to cover the meat. Simmer the chicken until tender and the sauce thickens. Fry the chicken in hot cooking oil then return to the sauce . Number of Servings: 6 servings

Pork Sisig (Thrice-Cooked Pork)

Ingredients: 1 kilogram pork cheek, jowls, and ears black peppercorns water ¼ kilogram chicken livers iodized salt ground black pepper ¼ cup calamansi juice chopped white onion chopped siling pansigang margarine Cooking Procedure: In a pot, place the pork, black peppercorns, and enough water to cover the meat. Simmer until the pork is fork-tender. Grill the pork and livers over charcoal until brown and crisp. Allow to cool. Chop the pork and livers into very small pieces. Combine together then mix well. Add the salt and ground black pepper to desired taste. Add the calamansi juice, chopped onion, and siling pansigang then mix well. Heat a sizzling plate then melt the margarine. Put the sisig then mix until brown and crisp. Number of Servings: 6 servings

Adobo Versus Sinigang

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