Laing (food)

''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, where it is known simply as ''pinangat''. ''Laing'' is also a type of '' ginataan'' (Filipino dishes cooked in coconut milk), and thus may also be referred to as ''ginataang laing''. ''Laing'' is commonly eaten as a vegetable side to complement meat or fish side dishes known as ''ulam'' in Filipino, which is normally paired with boiled white rice.

Names

''Laing'' is the name of the dish in most parts of the Philippines However, in the Bicol region, where it originates from, it is simply called ''pinangat.'' This name can be confused with ''pinangat na isda'', which is a different dish made with fish cooked in a slightly sour broth similar to ''sinigang''. The confusion stems from the original meaning of the verb ''pangat'' in the languages of Southern Luzon, which simply means to cook fish or meat in a broth of water and salt.

''Laing'' is typical of Bicolano cuisine, which is known for their common use of chilis and coconut milk. ''Laing'' is also known as ''ginataang laing'', ''pinangat na laing'','' pinangat na gabi'' and ''ginat-ang gabi'', among other names.

Description

The original ''laing'' from the Bicol Region does not use shredded taro leaves, but rather a whole taro leaf (''natong'' in Bicolano). This version is the one most commonly referred to as ''pinangat''. The mixture usually consists of cubed pre-cooked pork, shrimp, or fish flakes (or all three) with ''bagoong alamang'' (shrimp paste), crushed labuyo chili, garlic, shallots, ginger, and ''kakang gata'' (coconut cream). It is wrapped with the leaf and tied with a coconut leaf midrib or twine. It is then steamed in ''gata'' (coconut milk) with a knot of '' tanglad'' ( lemongrass) until the leaf pouches are fork tender and the coconut milk is reduced to a thick sauce.

For the ''laing'' version served in Manila and elsewhere, it is cooked similarly, but with the leaves shredded. It also usually includes chopped leaf stalks. ''Laing'' is usually eaten with white rice, but it can also be eaten sandwiched in bread like ''pandesal'' or used as a stuffing for other dishes. It is also commonly eaten as a side dish leaves to be used for ''laing'' must be prepared correctly, as they contain amounts of calcium oxalate crystals (raphides) that can sometimes cause itching and burning sensations in the mouth. They are usually washed and cooked thoroughly to avoid this. Drying can also lessen the amount of crystals.

Variants

Notable variants of ''laing'' include:

Inulukan

''Inulukan'' or ''inulokan'' is a variant of ''laing'' made from the meat of river crabs (''uluk'' or ''ulok'') wrapped in whole taro leaves and cooked in coconut milk spiced with calamansi, black pepper, and lemongrass. It is a specialty of Camalig, Albay