Canned liver spread has a special place in the Filipino pantry, making for a quick savory spread for your breakfast pandesal, or for adding a savory backbone to dishes like kaldereta and Pinoy-style spaghetti.
While we’ve not been able to find its exact history in the Philippine setting, its origins can be noticeably traced to French pâté or German liverwurst—both forms of forcemeat that may (or actually do, in the case of the latter) contain animal livers, along with its other parts and fillers, processed or pureed into a spreadable paste, thus breathing life and edible appeal into the (typically) less-preferred parts of the animal.
You’ll find a couple of brands in the supermarket today, available at cheap price points that keeps these special spreads accessible to common households. How do Reno, Argentina, CDO, and Purefoods compare? Heres our verdict:
Reno sports a nostalgic label that well looks like it could have been lifted straight from the 60’s. On the back, you’ll notice it says its made “with cereal”, which we assume acts as an extender for the spread. Whatever “cereal” means, it manifests itself in Reno’s resulting texture and taste.
Texture: The spread has a murky, grayish-pink hue and a notably thick consistency—still spreadable, but stiff like a thick porridge, with chunks of blistered meat in every few spoonfuls. Great for thickening stews.
Flavor: You get a spicy, meaty taste from both pork and beef livers, which then concludes with a peculiar sweetness. That porridge-like thickness we mentioned cushions the spread’s saltiness, making it balanced enough to eat straight with a spoon, but too mild of a presence on bread.Reno Liver Spread
Liver spread is usually eaten as a filling for sandwich bread and an accompaniment to crackers but it is also used as an ingredient in dishes like lechon sauce and the Tagalog version of paksiw na lechon. It is also used in some households as an ingredient to some dishes e.g. caldereta and Filipino spaghetti.
Now what if you live here or any other countries that don’t have it and you are craving for some? well you are lucky as I tried recreating them from home after asking Facebook fans to list down the ingredients in the can and whether they know someone who knows the recipe. I also searched Google but no luck on how it’s exactly made but I used some method of how liver pate is being made. So here you go, this is the first time I made it so bear with the ingredients as I played around with it to get the exact flavour and texture and all of it listed here are approximate values. All I can say that it tasted nearly the same with the Reno liver spread I used to love 10 years ago, I am not sure if it changed during the last 10 years, anyways anyone who try this recipe please let me know how did it turn up.
Pâtés are not exclusive to the French or Belgian cuisine, we also have them in the Philippines in form of Reno a very popular Filipino Style Liver Spread brand.
Pâtés are not exclusive to the French or Belgian cuisine as we also have them in the Philippines in form of Reno a very popular liver spread brand. Reno is a beef liver spread can be considered a type of pate but it is nowhere near its European counterparts is it has a hot and spicy taste and its texture is a bit gritty, it is commonly enjoyed with a bread called pandesal but also used as the secret ingredient of Kaldereta. In Philippines you can buy these everywhere from bakeries, convenience stores and supermarket but in New Zealand it’s hard to find even Asian shops don’t carry them, I heard stories from fellow Filipinos that this spread did not pass food and safety regulations hence it is not imported.
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How to Make Chicken Liver Pate | Recipe | Food & Wine
FAQ
What does liver spread do?
Is it okay to eat Reno liver spread?
What is liver spread used for?
Liver spread is usually eaten as a filling for sandwich bread and an accompaniment to crackers but it is also used as an ingredient in dishes like lechon sauce and the Tagalog version of paksiw na lechon. It is also used in some households as an ingredient to some dishes e.g. caldereta and Filipino spaghetti.
How does hepatitis A virus spread?
The Hepatitis A virus spreads via the fecal-oral route, even if close contact is avoided. When the faces of the infected person reach the food or water of the healthy person, it gets transmitted.
How do you make a good liver spread?
Add salt and pepper, to taste. Transfer to a covered container and refrigerate until serving time. Serve with toast or crackers. This chopped liver spread has a rich mushroomy flavor. It contains no added butter, only olive oil, so it has a more rustic texture. Consider chopped fresh parsley and red onion as a colorful garnish.
How long does liver spread last?
Serve over toast or pita chips or with some baguette rounds. This spread will keep for 5 days (covered) in the fridge and can be frozen. I browned the onions the day before, so I did not add the livers to the onions until the livers were cooked. Its easier to cook the onions and liver in the same skillet.