The Philippines has
a rich history, going back hundreds of years. The cuisine of this archipelago
has been infused by the many cultures the islands have been influenced by over
the years. Because of this colorful past, their food is as unique as it is rich
with a dizzying array of flavors. From complex and umami to sweet and cloying,
it's no wonder that time and time again, Filipino cuisine is the
talk of food lovers.
But every meal is completed, nay
perfected, by the condiments that seal in its flavors. If you want to know what
makes Filipino food so enticing, you have to get acquainted with these four
condiments.
Brought to the Philippines by
Chinese, soy sauce is probably the most recognizable ingredient to come out of
East Asia. Soy sauce is ubiquitous in Filipino cooking, often employed in
dishes that are wildly removed in a culinary sense from the Chinese origins of
the sauce.
Notable dishes that incorporate
soy sauce include the world-famous adobo, where it's used to
marinate the tender meats. It's also used to marinate Filipino-style steak,
commonly known as bistek. When infused with sliced green chili and onions, it's
a dipping sauce for various fried food, such as crispy pork cutlets. This makes
soy sauce a must-have in a Filipino kitchen.
This pungent but umami delicacy
is one of the Philippine's most unique products. Generally, it refers to a
variety of fermented condiments made of either anchovies or crustaceans, such
as shrimp and crab. The seafood is washed and packed in salt and left to
ferment anywhere between one to three months. The resulting paste has a number
of uses.
For example, Barrio
Fiesta's sweet bagoong is often used as a dipping sauce for unripe
mangoes, the umami of the bagoong bringing out the sourness of the fruit.
Bagoong is also a key ingredient in kare-kare, a savory stew made of peanut
sauce, oxtail, and various vegetables.
You will never find a Filipino
kitchen that doesn't have a bottle of vinegar. The sour liquid is sometimes
made of rice wine and even infused with spices such as red chilies and onions
to give it a more complex flavor. Vinegar is amazingly versatile as an
ingredient in Filipino cooking.
First, it's used as a dipping sauce, usually with chopped onions, for vegetable rolls and the local variety of sausages. Vinegar is also used in cooking adobo, providing the sourness of the dish. It's also the key ingredient in kilawin, a local delicacy made of raw fish. The acidity of the vinegar cooks the fish without heat, making it the Philippine counterpart to ceviche.
This small green citrus fruit is
native to the archipelago and at home in any Philippine dinner table. The calamansi
has a unique flavor, tarter than lemon and not as tangy as lime. Filipinos use
calamansi to marinate meats, such as beef and pork steaks, infusing them with
its sour but savory flavor. Calamansi is also used to add more tanginess to
individual dishes, such as rice porridge, various noodle-based meals, and
combined with other sauces for dips and marinades.
If you're curious about how to use these condiments, you should take the time to learn a few Filipino recipes. So long as you remember to stock up on these different sauces and delicacies, you can get the flavor perfectly.
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