''Ginataan'' (pronounced: ), alternatively spelled ''guinataan'', is a Filipino term which refers to food cooked with ''gatâ'' (

coconut milk Coconut milk is an opaque, milky-white liquid extracted from the grated pulp of mature coconuts. The opacity and rich taste of coconut milk are due to its high oil content, most of which is saturated fat. Coconut milk is a traditional food i ...

). Literally translated, ''ginataan'' means "done with coconut milk". Due to the general nature of the term, it can refer to a number of different dishes, each called ''ginataan'', but distinct from one another. During the Spanish colonial era, the ''ginataan'' was brought to Mexico through the Manila galleons that docked in

Acapulco Acapulco de Juárez (), commonly called Acapulco ( , also , nah, Acapolco), is a city and major seaport in the state of Guerrero on the Pacific Coast of Mexico, south of Mexico City. Acapulco is located on a deep, semicircular bay and has bee ...

. Today, it has become naturalized on the Guerrero coast, like the ''zambaripao'' or the '' tuba''. In Spanish it is called ''guinatán''.

Terminology

''Ginataan'' usually refers to dishes which are eaten with rice during the major meals of the day. It normally follows the form "''ginataan na/ginataang'' + (whatever it is cooked with)" or "(dish name) + ''sa gatâ''". For example, ''ginataang hipon'' refers to

shrimp Shrimp are crustaceans (a form of shellfish) with elongated bodies and a primarily swimming mode of locomotion – most commonly Caridea and Dendrobranchiata of the decapod order, although some crustaceans outside of this order are refer ...

cooked in coconut milk, ''ginataang gulay'' to an assortment of vegetables cooked in coconut milk, ''ginataang alimango'' is mud crabs cooked in coconut milk, while ''ginataang manok'' is chicken cooked in coconut milk. Coconut milk can also be added to existing dishes, as in ''ginataang adobo'' (known more commonly in Tagalog as ''adobo sa gatâ''). There are other dishes that are known by their own unique names, such as

Bicol Express Bicol Express, known natively in Bikol as ''sinilihan'' (), is a popular Filipino dish which was popularized in the district of Malate, Manila but made in traditional Bicolano style. It is a stew made from long chili peppers (''siling hab ...

, '' laing'' and variants of ''

pinakbet Pinakbet (also called pakbet or pinak bet) is an indigenous Filipino dish from the northern regions of the Philippines. Pinakbet is made from mixed vegetables sautéed in fish or shrimp sauce. The word is the contracted from the Ilokano wo ...

'', which nonetheless fall under the ''ginataan'' category because they use coconut milk as one of the main ingredients.

Sweet variants

Various sweet

dessert Dessert is a course (food), course that concludes a meal. The course consists of sweet foods, such as confections, and possibly a beverage such as dessert wine and liqueur. In some parts of the world, such as much of Greece and West Africa, and ...

s may also simply be called ''ginataan'', especially in the northern Philippines. For example, the Visayan '' binignit'', a

soup Soup is a primarily liquid food, generally served warm or hot (but may be cool or cold), that is made by combining ingredients of meat or vegetables with stock, milk, or water. Hot soups are additionally characterized by boiling solid ing ...

made with coconut milk,

glutinous rice Glutinous rice (''Oryza sativa var. glutinosa''; also called sticky rice, sweet rice or waxy rice) is a type of rice grown mainly in Southeast and East Asia, and the northeastern regions of South Asia, which has opaque grains, very low amylose ...

, tubers, tapioca pearls, and sago is simply called ''ginataan'' in Tagalog (a shortened form of the proper name, ''ginataang halo-halo''). This soup is also called ''"giná-tan"'' in

Bikolano Central Bikol commonly called Bikol Naga, also known simply as Bikol, is an Austronesian language spoken by the Bicolanos, primarily in the Bicol Region of southern Luzon, Philippines. It is spoken in the northern and western part of Camarines S ...

, ''"ginettaán"'' in Ilokano, and ''"ginat-ang lugaw"'' in Hiligaynon. If gummy balls made of pounded

are used instead of plain glutinous rice, it becomes a dish called ''ginataang bilo-bilo'' or simply '' bilo-bilo''. '' Ginataang mais'' is another example of a dessert soup; a warm, sweet, thick gruel made with coconut milk,

sweet corn Sweet corn (''Zea mays'' convar. ''saccharata'' var. ''rugosa''), also called sugar corn and pole corn, is a variety of maize grown for human consumption with a high sugar content. Sweet corn is the result of a naturally occurring recessive muta ...

and

List of ''ginataan'' dishes

Dishes considered under the ''ginataan'' category include the following:

Main dishes

* Adobo sa gata *

Curacha Alavar ''Curacha Alavar'', sometimes referred to as ''curacha con salsa Alavar'' ("Curacha with Alavar sauce") in Chavacano a Spanish-based creole language, is a Filipino dish made from spanner crabs (''curacha''), garlic, ginger, salt, and Alavar sauc ...

Ginataang ampalaya ''Ginataang ampalaya'', is a Filipino vegetable stew made from bitter melon and ''tinapa'' (smoked fish) in coconut milk, ''bagoong alamang'' (shrimp paste), and spices. The dish can also be made with pork or shrimp and other vegetables. The dish ...

* Ginataang isda *

Ginataang kalabasa ''Ginataang kalabasa'', also known as ''kalabasa sa gata'', is a Filipino vegetable stew made from calabaza in coconut milk and spices. It commonly includes shrimp and yardlong beans and either '' bagoong'' (fermented fish or shrimp) or '' p ...

Ginataang kuhol ''Ginataang kuhol'' is a Filipino snail stew made from apple snails in coconut milk with leafy vegetables, onion, garlic, ginger (or turmeric), ''siling haba'' chilis, ''bagoong alamang'' (shrimp paste), and salt and pepper. ''Labuyo'' chilis ...

Ginataang labong ''Ginataang labong'' or ''ginataang tambo'' is a Filipino vegetable stew made from bamboo shoots in coconut milk and spices with seafood or meat. It is the most common way of preparing bamboo shoots in Philippine cuisine. ''Ginataang ubod'' ...

Ginataang langka ''Ginataang langka'', is a Filipino vegetable stew made from unripe jackfruit in coconut milk and spices. The dish includes a wide variety of secondary ingredients like seafood, meat, and other vegetables. The dish also commonly adds ''bagoong a ...

Ginataang manok ''Ginataang manok'' is a Filipino language, Filipino chicken soup made from chicken in coconut milk with green papaya and other vegetables, garlic, ginger, onion, ''patis (sauce), patis'' (fish sauce) or ''bagoong alamang'' (shrimp paste), and s ...

Ginataang ubod ''Ginataang labong'' or ''ginataang tambo'' is a Filipino vegetable stew made from bamboo shoots in coconut milk and spices with seafood or meat. It is the most common way of preparing bamboo shoots in Philippine cuisine. ''Ginataang ubod'' is ...

Ginisang munggo sa gata Ginisang munggo is a Filipino savory mung bean soup. It is made with mung beans, garlic, tomatoes, onions, various vegetables, and '' patis'' (fish sauce). It is cooked with pork, ''tinapa'' (smoked fish), '' daing'' (dried fish), or other seafoo ...

Gising-gising ''Gising-gising'', also known as ''ginataang sigarilyas'', is a spicy Filipino vegetable soup or stew originating from the provinces of Nueva Ecija and Pampanga in the Philippines. It is traditionally made with chopped winged beans (''sigarillas ...

(Ginataang sigarilyas) *

Inubarang manok ''Inubaran'' is a Filipino cuisine, Filipino chicken stew or soup made with chicken cooked with diced banana pith, coconut milk (''gata'') or coconut cream (''kakang gata''), a souring agent, lemongrass, and various spices. The souring agent (call ...

Inulukan ''Laing'' ( ), is a Filipino dish of shredded or whole taro leaves with meat or seafood cooked in thick coconut milk spiced with labuyo chili, lemongrass, garlic, shallots, ginger, and shrimp paste. It originates from the Bicol Region, whe ...

* Kinilaw * Kulawo * Laing *

Linarang ''Linarang'', also known as ''larang'' or ''nilarang'', is a Filipino fish stew originating from the Central Visayas islands. It is made with fish in a spicy and sour coconut milk-based broth with garlic, red onions, tomatoes, fermented black b ...

Piaparan ''Piaparan'', also known as ''pipaparan'', ''piaran'', or ''piarun'', is a Filipino dish consisting of meat (usually chicken) or seafood cooked in a coconut milk-based broth with grated coconut, garlic, onions, ginger, turmeric, young wild s ...

Pininyahang hipon ''Pininyahang hipon'' (lit. "shrimp with pineapples"), is a Filipino dish consisting of shrimp cooked in coconut milk, pineapples, tomatoes, onions, and various spices. It is a sweet variant of ''ginataang hipon'' (shrimp in coconut milk). It i ...

Pininyahang manok ''Pininyahang manok'', commonly anglicized as pineapple chicken, is a Philippine dish consisting of chicken braised in a milk or coconut milk-based sauce with pineapples, carrots, potatoes, and bell peppers. Some variants of the dish use a ch ...

Piyanggang manok ''Piyanggang manok'', also spelled ''pyanggang manok'', is a Filipino dish consisting of chicken braised in turmeric, onions, lemongrass, ginger, siling haba chilis, garlic, coconut milk, and ground burnt coconut. It originates from the Tausug ...

Sinanglay ''Sinanglay'' is a Filipino dish made from stuffed fish wrapped in leafy vegetables and lemongrass or pandan leaves cooked in a spicy coconut milk sauce. It is a type of ''ginataan'' and originates from the Bicol Region. Description The fish is ...

Sinantolan ''Sinantolan'', also known as ''ginataang santol'' or ''gulay na santol'', is a Filipino dish made with grated santol fruit rinds, siling haba, shrimp paste (''bagoong alamang''), onion, garlic, and coconut cream. Meat or seafood are also commo ...

Sinilihan Bicol Express, known natively in Bikol as ''sinilihan'' (), is a popular Filipino dish which was popularized in the district of Malate, Manila but made in traditional Bicolano style. It is a stew made from long chili peppers (''siling hab ...

(Bicol Express) * Sorol *

Tinumok ''Laing'' ( ), is a Philippine cuisine, Filipino dish of shredded or whole taro leaves with meat or seafood cooked in thick coconut milk spiced with siling labuyo, labuyo chili, lemongrass, garlic, shallots, ginger, and bagoong alamang, shrimp ...

Tiyula itum ''Tiyula itum'' ( Tausug: "black soup") is a Filipino braised beef or goat soup or stew dish originating from the Tausug people. The dish is characteristically black due to the unique use of charred coconut meat. Etymology The name of the dish ...

Dessert

* Bilo-bilo * Binignit * Ginataang mais *

Ginataang munggo ''Ginataang munggo'', also known as ''lelut balatung'' in pampanga or ''tinutungang munggo'', is a Filipino glutinous rice gruel dessert with toasted mung beans, coconut milk, and sugar. It is typically flavored with vanilla or pandan leave ...

* Ginataang saba * Pinakro

References