Symbols play a huge part in Filipino culture. We have the carabao as our national animal, the sampaguita as our national flower, and Sandara Park as our national krung-krung, but our food-loving country has yet to select a national dish. Considering how we have so many different regional delicacies, with each as delectable as all the others, it’d be pretty tough to come to a consensus.
Adobo or adobar (Spanish: marinade, sauce, or seasoning) is the immersion of cooked food in a stock (or sauce) composed variously of paprika, oregano, salt, garlic, and vinegar to preserve and enhance its flavor.
The Many Faces of Adobo
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:
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.
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.
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 Puso ng Saging
This delicacy calls for sliced white banana flowers sautéed in white vinegar, a helping of bagoong (shrimp paste), and a sprinkling of suahe (small shrimps). Hailing from Cavite, this vegetable-based adobo is used as the main souring agent in the province’s version of pancit guisado.
Adobo: Filipino or Spanish?
FAQ
What is the English name of adobo?
What are the 2 versions of adobo?
What is adobo usually made of?
Is Filipino and Mexican adobo the same?
What is Mexican adobo?
Today, Mexican adobo is a flavorful braise made with a flavor base of rehydrated and puréed dry chiles, garlic, and seasonings including pepper, cinnamon, cumin, oregano, and cloves. Mexican-style adobo can be served as a main course stew or even as a taco filling.
What is Filipino adobo?
As in Puerto Rico, adobo is beloved in most Filipino households; it’s the unofficial dish of the Philippines, even as it varies by region or household. Most modern-day Filipino adobo is prepared with vinegar and soy sauce. Some families keep it simple with vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, bay leaves, and black pepper.
What is adobo in Puerto Rico?
As is the case in Mexico, adobo in Puerto Rico most traditionally refers to a wet marinade consisting of garlic, some kind of acid (vinegar or citrus), oregano, salt, pepper, and olive oil. The ratio of ingredients depends on what meat is in play, says Von Diaz, a journalist, professor, and author of the cookbook Coconuts & Collards.
How did adobo become popular in Mexico?
As the Spanish Empire took over the world, it imposed Spanish culture upon its new colonies. In Mexico, the Old World technique of adobo met New World ingredients, namely the chile peppers native to Central and South America. In Mexico, adobo sauce starts with dried chiles like guajillo and ancho peppers.