Adobo, A Great Philippine Food

Have you ever seen the video of an American cooking Adobo? It just shows that Adobo fever has reached the world and people have been making their own versions of it, that even restaurants abroad have concocted their own Adobo. Im sure that people have already tried phenomenal dish when visiting the Philippines. Its impossible to miss it as you can find it in any restaurant around Manila. It has become our national dish so to speak.

Adobo can be categorized as a stew, unlike their counterparts from other countries like Puerto Rico, which sees it as a meat rub that contains several spices. Philippine Adobo is a recipe that contains either chicken or pork meat or even at times both, marinated, along with some hard boiled eggs, for long hours in vinegar, soy sauce and other spices such as garlic, bay leaf and peppercorns. Sometimes pan-fried, it is usually cooked in hot oil and served best with a cup of rice. Adobo dates back to the period of the Malays, with a similar dish called Ginataan, which is considered a distant relative of the Adobo. Ginataan is chicken and pork meat cooked with vegetables in coconut milk and garnished with vinegar, garlic and soy sauce. Years after that, the Spaniards colonized the Philippines for 400 years and they have imparted to the Filipinos the concept of Adobo, found in dishes all over the world it refers to the sauce marinade or seasoning used in a particular dish. With the prevalence of soy sauce brought by the Chinese traders during that era, Filipinos have created such succulent dish. Some say Adobo may have been derived from another Spanish dish-Adobado, which consists of cured pork loin simmered in olive oil and vinegar. Adobo is so special during the Spanish occupation that they only serve it when guests such as friars or high ranking government officials come visit. With the presence of vinegar, Adobo without any refrigeration during that time will be preserved and still be fit to eat the next few days.

The variants of Adobo can be comparable to the islands in the Philippines depending on the resources or produce that particular area has. Adobo is not limited to a meal on a plate, nowadays Adobo can be seen inside a sandwich bun or a filling inside a Siopao, they even sell Adobo flavored chips and biscuits on the streets. No matter what, Adobo will always be Adobo, an aroma that would tease your sense, a dish so irresistible you definitely need to have a second bite and something we Filipinos can be proud of.