Sinigang na Baboy (Filipino Pork in Sour Tamarind Soup) Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the best souring agent for sinigang? ›

This basic sinigang broth uses rice washing or hugas bigas, seafood and a souring agent of choice. The traditional souring agent is sour juice from unripe tamarind fruit or tamarind powder. The common seafood used are 10 cm prawns, bangus belly cut in half, salmon, tanguigue (mackerel) and talakitok (salt water jack).

Ingredients. Iodized Salt, Food Acid (Citric), Falvor Enhancer (MSG), Tamarind, Wheat Flour, Thickener (Xanthan), Sugar, Taro, Tomato, Onion, Natural Flavor, Shrimp, Palm Oil, Spices, Color (Caramel).

It is a true embodiment of Filipino comfort food. These high rankings are a win for Filipino culinary heritage. Sinigang na Baboy and Bulalo have both previously been named among the World's 50 Best Soups. Sinigang has also been crowned the World's Number One Vegetable Soup.

It is most often associated with tamarind (Filipino: sampalok), although it can use other sour fruits and leaves as the souring agent such as unripe mangoes or rice vinegar.

These sour dry ingredients—citric acid, True Lemon, amchoor, and sumac—can make your food taste better. Published Jan. 29, 2023.

Mix in a small spoonful of sugar into lighter soups.

Stir the sugar thoroughly into your container of soup, then taste test it. If the soup still tastes a bit acidic, stir in another small spoonful of sugar into the dish. This solution works better with dishes that have lighter flavors, like lemon. Don't overdo it!

For sinigang, pairing it with rice, patismansi (fish sauce with calamansi), and salted fish works.

Sinigang: Many Filipino households serve sinigang as a comfort food, especially at dinner when tired family members arrive from school or work to the wafting smell of hot tamarind soup with pork or fish. However, try to avoid using instant sinigang mix as it contains chemicals that can harm the kidney with regular use.

Cut the onion and tomato into wedges or quarters. Peel the taro, and cut it into wedges or quarters, as well. Cut the string beans into 2 in (5.1 cm) pieces, or trim the ends and tie the beans into knots. Chop the peppers and separate the water spinach or bok choy into individual leaves.

This soup has evolved through the ages, integrating local ingredients and influences from various cultures. It is a testament to the adaptability and diversity of Filipino cuisine. Sinigang is more than just a dish, it's a staple in Filipino households, often associated with warmth, family, and comfort.

Why do Filipinos like sinigang? ›

Something sour, like sinigang, is believed to help the body cool down by releasing sweat. Sour food has that effect to make one feel physically better, despite the sweltering heat. Filipinos also learned how to preserve their food before refrigeration came.

According to the Taste Atlas Awards, the international food database, the Filipino favorite, Sinigang, is hailed as the best soup in the world.

In the Philippines, adobo is considered the unofficial national dish, taking many forms across the country, but the base ingredients for the stew are typically the same: vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, black pepper and bay leaves, along with some kind of marinated meat or vegetables.

To counter the bitterness of these beef parts, cooks add ginger, red chilies, and kamias as a souring agent.

Sinigang became more popular in the 20th century, as it was brought to Manila and other cities by migrants from the provinces. It's now considered a national dish of the Philippines and can be found in Filipino restaurants all over the world.

Numerous citrus fruits are utilized in Filipino cooking but the calamansi reigns supreme. Tinier than its tangy counterparts, the calamansi offers strong souring capabilities. It is a favorite inclusion to any sawsawan and helps in removing any undesired taste and odor from seafood.

The most common kind of souring agent with sinigang is sampaloc or tamarind. Most sinigang mixes also use sampaloc. It has a very slight fruity note, but more importantly, its sour note hits you with a punch. Sampaloc is most often found in sinigang from Luzon.

Sinigang is most associated with tamarind (sampalok), but other dish variations use other souring agents, including unripe mangoes, butterfly tree leaves, citrus, and guava.