Many people know Philippine food as lechon, adobo, or sisig. But right up there among iconic Filipino dishes should be sinigang. This sour soup is a staple in local households; you can’t go a week in a Pinoy household without eating it.
Aside from flavor, sinigang is a great example of Filipino cooking. It’s a very simple dish—it’s soup, so it’s basically just bringing a pot of ingredients to a boil. But in that simplicity lies a deliberate mix of ingredients that highlight Philippine produce and ingenuity, as well as a great sense of flavor.
What is Sinigang?
Sinigang is a sour stew that’s made using meat or seafood, vegetables, and a souring agent such as tamarind. It comes from the Filipino word “sigang” which means “to stew.” There are several versions of sinigang, including sinigang na hipon (shrimp) and sinigang na isda (fish). But the most common one is sinigang na baboy (pork sinigang).
Although sinigang is traditionally made from scratch, modern versions often use sinigang mixes. These are flavoring powders that recreate the flavors of the soup so cooks don’t have to go through the whole process of preparing the souring agents; instead, they only have to boil everything together.
Sinigang is the ultimate Pinoy food.
Resourcefulness is a common Filipino trait that’s seen in Philippine cuisine. Filipinos love using what’s available and making the most out of every ingredient—and this is something that you can see in sinigang.
Although there’s generally a set of methods and ingredients that make sinigang what it is, the dish is also very customizable and forgiving. You can change the protein or the vegetables; you can even adjust how sour you want the soup to be. These slight differences based on preference is what makes every Filipino believe that their own (or their mom’s) distinct version is the best.
The Best Pork Sinigang Recipe
As mentioned, you can easily make sinigang by boiling meat and vegetables with a sinigang mix that you can conveniently find in most local supermarkets. There are even sinigang packs that come with the meat and vegetables portioned for a set serving.
For the best experience though, making sinigang from scratch is unbeatable. Pepper.ph, a cooking resource from the Philippines, can show you a simple from-scratch recipe of sinigang that walks you through the best way to sour your soup and the most efficient method to cook the stew. Visit their website for the full instructions.
