Adobo

ADOBO

Adobo is one of most popular are delicious dishes in the Philippines. from the Spanish word adobar, which means “marinade” or “pickling sauce.” The existence of the tangy dish was first recorded in 1613 by the Spaniard Pedro de San Buenaventura.

For nearly five centuries, Filipinos have been coming up with their own new and unique takes on this classic. Here are a few of the more popular ones:

• Chicken Pork Adobo – This is the “standard” version served in homes and carinderias across the country. Soy sauce gives it a dark color and salty flavor. Traditionally, it’s eaten the day after it’s made, once all the flavors have mixed, reabsorbed, and intensified. Since it involves two kinds of meat, the pieces of chicken are removed from the pot once they’re done, leaving the pork chunks to finish stewing.

• Beef/Chicken/Pork Adobo – This more decadent spin on the classic stew originated in Batangas, where achuete (annatto) water is sometimes substituted for the soy sauce. This results in a less salty sauce and adds a reddish tinge to the dish. The meat is braised in order of toughness, with the hardier beef pieces hitting the pan first.

• Adobo sa Gata – A popular dish in Southern Luzon, this Bicolano take on adobo adds coconut milk to the vinegar braising liquid. Green finger chili peppers, which abound in Bicol, are used instead of black peppercorns.

• Adobong Puti (White Adobo) – Although this dish is actually brown (an effect of frying the meat prior to braising), it gets its name from the clear vinegary liquid it’s traditionally made with. This version is preferred by the purists since it eliminates the soy sauce and the laurel leaves from the recipe, giving way to the three basicadobo flavors: vinegar, garlic, and peppercorns.

• Adobong Puso ng Saging – This delicacy calls for sliced white banana flowers sautéed in white vinegar, a helping of bagoong (shrimp paste), and a sprinkling ofsuahe (small shrimps). Hailing from Cavite, this vegetable-based adobo is used as the main souring agent in the province’s version of pancit guisado.

• Adobong Malutong (Crispy Adobo) – Proving that Filipinos are highly resourceful when it comes to recycling leftovers, adobong malutong entails shredding the meat from leftover chicken and pork adobo , and frying them in hot oil until they are brown and crisp. Crunchy adobo flakes are known for their long shelf-life (especially when refrigerated in a sealed container) and for their versatility (they are paired with everything from kare-kare to lugaw).

• Adobong Pusit (Squid Adobo) – Originating from coastline areas where seafood is plentiful but meat is scarce, this particular adobo’s sauce is blackened further by pouring squid ink into the stew along with vinegar and soy sauce. Green finger chili peppers are sometimes added for an extra kick.

• Apan-apan Adobabo – This Ilonggo dish uses kangkong (water spinach) as its main attraction. This version is inherently vegetarian, but is occasionally made decadent with the addition of tulapo (bits of pork fat rendered in oil).