Sinigang na Baboy.jpg

''Sinigang'' is a Filipino soup or stew characterized by its sour and savory taste. It is most often associated with tamarind (Filipino: ''sampalok''), although it can use other sour fruits and leaves as the souring agent. It is one of the more popular dishes in Filipino cuisine. The soup is usually accompanied by rice. In 2021, ''sinigang'' was rated as the world's best vegetable soup by TasteAtlas.

Origin

''Sinigang'' means "stewed ish, it is a nominalized form of the Tagalog verb ''sigang'', "to stew". While present nationwide, ''sinigang'' is seen to be culturally Tagalog in origin, thus the similar sour stews and soups found in the Visayas and Mindanao (like ''linarang'') are regarded as different dishes and differ in the ingredients used. Fish sauce is a common condiment for the stew.

Ingredients

''Sinigang'' is most often associated with tamarind in modern times, but it originally referred to any meat or seafood cooked in a sour and acidic broth, similar to but differentiated from ''paksiw'' (which uses vinegar). Other variations of the dish derive their sourness from native ingredients. These souring agents include unripe mangoes, butterfly tree leaves (''alibangbang''), citruses (including the native calamansi and biasong), santol, bilimbi (''kamias'' or ''iba''), gooseberry tree fruits (''karmay''), binukaw fruits (also ''batuan''), and libas fruits, among others. Guava, introduced to the Philippines via the Manila galleons is also used. Seasoning powder or bouillon cubes with a tamarind base are commercial alternatives to using natural fruits.

''Sinigang'' typically uses meat or seafood (e.g., fish, pork, beef, shrimp, or chicken) stewed with tamarind, tomatoes, garlic, and onions. Other vegetables commonly used in the making of sinigang include okra, taro corms (''gabi adds a starchy component to the dish and thickens the broth''), white radish (''labanós''), water spinach (''kangkóng''), yardlong beans (''sitaw'') and eggplant (''talóng''). Most Filipinos like to cook sinigang with long green peppers in order to enhance the taste and add a little spice to the dish. Another variation includes adding locally made miso.

Sinigang variations

*''Sinigáng sa misô'' - Sinigang with miso added to the soup as the umami element, usually with a tamarind base
*''Sinigáng sa bayabas'' - Sinigang that uses guava as the sour soup base
*''Sinigang sa mangga'' - Sinigang that uses unripe mango as the sour soup base
*''Sinigang sa kalamansi'' - Sinigang that uses calamansi or lemon as the sour soup base
*''Sinigáng na isdâ'' - Fish sinigang
*''Sinigang sa pakwan'' - Sinigang that uses watermelon together with tamarind as the sour soup base
*''Sinigáng na hipon'' - Shrimp or Prawn sinigang
*''Sinigang na baka'' - Beef sinigang
* Seafood ''sinigang'' - Fish, shrimp, squid, sea shells are combined in this soup
*''Bule baluga'' - A variant of sinigang from the Aeta people of Pampanga that uses lima beans (''bule'') and is soured with ''alibangbang'' ( butterfly tree) leaves. The name is controversial as ''baluga'' is considered by some as derogatory to the Aeta.

Similar dishes

'' Sinampalukang manók'' or ''sinampalukan'' is technically not a variation of sinigang, as the chicken has to be sautéed in ginger first instead of all the ingredients being placed simultaneously into the pot and brought to a boil. ''Sinampalukan'' is also distinguished by its use of shredded tamarind leaves, and is usually made together with ginger, onions, tomatoes, eggplant and other vegetables.

Other Filipino dishes that are similar to ''sinigang'' but distinct include ''pinangat na isda'' from Southern Luzon and ''linarang'' from Cebu. Both of which also use sour fruits but are restricted to fish or seafood and differ in the other ingredients used.

There are also similar soured beef stews. They include the ''cansi'' from the Western Visayas islands which use beef and breadfruit and is soured with batuan or bilimbi fruits. Because it resembles a cross between ''bulalo'' and ''sinigang'' it is sometimes known as ''sinigang na bulalo''. Another soured beef stew is '' sinanglaw'' from Ilocos which is soured with bilimbi or tamarind, but is unique in that it also includes bitter ingredients like bitter gourd or bile, as is common in Ilocano cuisine.

Beyond Philippines

Malaysia

Around the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia, particularly in the states of Kelantan and Terengganu, there is a dish called ''singgang'' that is considered as a close resemblance to ''sinigang''. The common ingredients found in ''singgang'' are lemongrass, galangal, garlic, chili and asam gelugur as souring agent. Either '' budu'' or ''tempoyak'' would also sometimes be added to further flavourize the dish. ''Terengganu's singgang'' and ''Kelantan's singgang'' differs through an addition of turmeric into the former.

Meanwhile, on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia, another dish that is thought to be similar to ''singgang'' is called ''pindang''.

See also

* Cansi
* Hot and sour soup
* Sayur asem
* Tom yum
* List of soups
* List of stews
* Filipino cuisine

References

Further reading

* Eckhardt, Robyn and David Hagerman. (2007-02-15)
Why Not Sinigang?
Retrieved 2010-08-02 from the EatingAsia food blog.
* Fernandez, Doreen. (1976). Why Sinigang?. In Gilda Cordero-Fernando. ''The Culinary Culture of the Philippines''. Manila: Bancom Audiovision Corporation. pp. 24–29.
* Perez, Irene C. (2010-07-01)
Why piping-hot ‘sinigang’ is the national dish
''Philippine Daily Inquirer''. Retrieved 2010-08-02.

{{Symbols of the Philippines

Philippine soups
Philippine stews
National dishes