Discover the Philippines: Sinigang

History

Sinigang is a rich, sour, and savory stew that is considered a staple in the Filipino cuisine. The origin of sinigang is not completely understood because there are no written findings describing this rich stew throughout history. While the origin of this dish is unclear, it is thought to be old enough to be considered an indigenous dish. This means it originated or was created before the Spaniards colonized the Philippines in 1565.

The word sinigang comes from the Tagalog language and means stewed. This leads to the idea that this stew originates from the Tagalog people – the second largest ethnolinguistic group in the Philippines. The standardized form of the Tagalog language is the national language of the Philippines and has been officially named Filipino.

Since sinigang is considered Tagalog in origin, variations of this dish created by surrounding areas in the Philippines like the Visayas or Mindanao are regarded as different dishes altogether despite their similarities. For example, cansi or kansi from the Visayas is a beef stew boiled until gelatinous and soured with sour fruits (not necessarily tamarind). This is basically sinigang with varying ingredients but considered a separate dish since it is not Tagalog in nature.

The Filipino cuisine slightly changed after being colonized by the Spanish where dishes were more influenced by the Spanish cuisine. This is easily noticed through dishes like lumpias or empanadas which are Spanish in origin. The Filipino cuisine is an original style influenced by a blend of Spanish cuisine and neighboring Asian cuisines. The complex history and diversity of the Philippines has allowed for a truly special fare.

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What is Sinigang?

Sinigang is a rich stew of meat and vegetables cooked in a broth soured by a souring agent. The souring agent is traditionally tamarind, but can be any sour fruit like unripe mangoes, butterfly tree leaves, or other fruits. After being introduced by the Manila galleons, guava was used as well. The souring agent used is what differentiates sinigang from paksiw – a Filipino style of cooking whose name means “to cook and simmer in vinegar.”

While a range of fruits can be used to sour this soup, the original souring agent was tamarind. The fresh tamarind fruits were boiled down to get a sour juice, but nowadays, a tamarind powder packet is used for convenience instead.

Vegetables and meat used in this stew vary by region and preference. Any meat can be used like chicken, pork, beef, or seafood. Common vegetables used are cabbage (specifically bok choy), okra, eggplant, taro root, white radish, and yardlong beans. Tomatoes, garlic, and onions are always typically included regardless of variation.

Fun fact: While reading, I came across some recipes explaining how some recommend or prefer to make seafood sinigang with ginger among the usual ingredients and all other meat variations without ginger. I found this to be an interesting pairing preference!

As mentioned, there are many variations of this dish and many of them are named according to their variation. For example, sinigang with miso is sinigang sa miso or sinigang that uses guava is sinigang sa bayabas. For my recipe using pork, the name would be sinigang na baboy. Some surrounding countries even have their own adaptation of sinigang. Malaysia has a dish called singgang which is derived from sinigang.

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About this Dish

Sinigang is a simple stew that lets the beauty of fresh ingredients shine. The sourness of the tamarind brings a unique and refreshing taste to the dish while the pork adds a familiar savory element. The amount of vegetables makes this stew a very rich and satisfying meal. While the recipe may seem very plain, the taste of the sour tamarind, savory pork, and sweet tomato create an addicting taste that keeps you wanting more.

This dish can be easily made vegan or vegetarian friendly by omitting the pork and using a desired seasoning base like seasoned vegetable bouillon. A plant-based meat can be added like tempeh or seitan to add protein and a savory meat flavor.

Taro Root

Thai and Mini Eggplants

Tamarind

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Sinigang

A rich Filipino sour stew packed with meat and vegetables.

Makes 7-8 cups (about 7-8 servings).

Notes

#1 – If you cannot find tamarind (I found mine at Woodman’s), you can look for tamarind juice or paste. Otherwise try using one of the alternative fruits mentioned above.

#2 – Thin cut pork chops worked well for me and stayed tender enough. However, spareribs give a better flavor but do need to be simmered longer until tender. Tempeh or seitan works well for this dish.

#3 - Use water for meat base or broth for vegetarian/vegan variations to get that added flavor.

#4 – These are small eggplants (pictured above). The Thai are green and slightly firmer and sourer, while the mini are like mini regular purple eggplants. Regular eggplants work as well but are much larger than the quantity needed.

#5 – Thai chilies will help add a nice spice to the soup but are not needed.

#6 – Tamarind juice tastes like a mellow, earthy lemon juice. It adds a pleasant sourness. ½ cup worked well for me, but feel free to add to taste!

Ingredients

Tamarind Juice:

• 5 whole tamarind pieces *See Note #1

• 2 cups water

Soup:

• 1 tsp neutral oil

• 1/2 medium onion, diced

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 tbsp ginger, minced or grated

• 5 thin cut pork chops (about .67 lb), chopped *See note #2

• 3 medium taro roots, peeled and chopped into chunks

• 4 cups water or broth *See note #3

• 2 mini eggplants or Thai eggplants *See note #4

• 1 cup tomato, chopped

• 1 cup radish, chopped (daikon or regular red)

• 1 1/2 cups green beans

• 2 Thai chilies crushed and slit (optional) *See note #5

• 1 cup cabbage chopped (Chinese or bok choy)

• 2-3 cups spinach

• 1/2 cup tamarind juice (or to taste) *See note #6

• salt and pepper to taste

1. For making the tamarind juice:

- Rinse the tamarind and put it in a sauce pot with 1 cup of water. Cover and bring to a boil until the pulp softens and the shells start to separate (about 5-10 minutes).

-Let this mixture cool and take out the hard shells leaving only soft pulp behind.

-Add one more cup of water to the fruit and boil for another 5 minutes uncovered.

-Strain this mixture into a bowl and set aside for later.

2. For making the soup:

-While the tamarind is boiling, sauté the onion in the oil in a medium saucepan until tender. Add the pork and cook until slightly browned.

-Add the garlic, ginger, and tomatoes and sauté until fragrant. Pour in the 4 cups of water and simmer this mixture for 15-20 minutes.

-Add the taro root and cook for 5-7 minutes.

-Add the eggplant, radish, green beans, and Thai chili peppers. Simmer this until the eggplant is tender or a desired cook is reached.

-Turn off the heat and add the cabbage, spinach, tamarind juice and salt and pepper to taste. Do not forget to fish out the chilies.

Enjoy!

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Nutrition

Sinigang is a healthy meal consisting of a large amount of vegetables and some protein. The vegetables help add an array of nutrients. They also help fill you up. A leaner protein can be used to avoid more fat, but the pork is also not a bad choice!

Pork Sinigang

Vegan/Vegetarian Sinigang

As always, I hope you enjoyed this post and recipe! Thank you for reading. Please reach out with any comments or questions!