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

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

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

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

through the

Manila galleons The Manila galleon (; ) refers to the Spanish trading ships that linked the Philippines in the Spanish East Indies to Mexico (New Spain), across the Pacific Ocean. The ships made one or two round-trip voyages per year between the ports of Man ...

which docked in

Acapulco Acapulco de Juárez (), commonly called Acapulco ( , ; ), is a city and Port of Acapulco, major seaport in the Political divisions of Mexico, state of Guerrero on the Pacific Coast of Mexico, south of Mexico City. Located on a deep, semicirc ...

. Today, it has become naturalized in the regional cuisines of

Guerrero Guerrero, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Guerrero, is one of the 32 states that compose the administrative divisions of Mexico, 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into Municipalities of Guerrero, 85 municipalities. The stat ...

and

Colima Colima, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Colima, is among the 31 states that make up the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It shares its name with its capital and main city, Colima. Colima is a small state of western Mexico on the cen ...

, like the '' zambaripao'' or the ''

tuba The tuba (; ) is the largest and lowest-pitched musical instrument in the brass instrument, brass family. As with all brass instruments, the sound is produced by lip vibrationa buzzinto a mouthpiece (brass), mouthpiece. It first appeared in th ...

''. In

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...

it is called ''guinatán''.

Terminology

''Ginataan'' is the affixed form of ''gatâ'' ("coconut milk"): ''g-'' + ''-in-'' + ''-atâ'' + ''-an'' ("done with coconut milk"). It 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 A shrimp (: shrimp (American English, US) or shrimps (British English, UK)) is a crustacean with an elongated body and a primarily Aquatic locomotion, swimming mode of locomotion – typically Decapods belonging to the Caridea or Dendrobranchi ...

cooked in coconut milk, ''ginataang gulay'' to an assortment of vegetables cooked in coconut milk, ''ginataang alimango'' is

mud crab Mud crab may refer to any crab that lives in or near mud, such as: *''Scylla serrata'' *'' Scylla tranquebarica'' *'' Scylla paramamosain'' *'' Scylla olivacea'' *Members of the family Panopeidae, such as '' Panopeus herbstii'' *Members of the fa ...

cooked in coconut milk, while ''ginataang manok'' is

chicken The chicken (''Gallus gallus domesticus'') is a domesticated subspecies of the red junglefowl (''Gallus gallus''), originally native to Southeast Asia. It was first domesticated around 8,000 years ago and is now one of the most common and w ...

cooked in coconut milk. Coconut milk may be added to existing dishes as in ''ginataang

adobo or (Spanish language, Spanish: marinade, sauce, or seasoning) is the immersion of food in a stock (or sauce) composed variously of paprika, oregano, Edible salt, salt, garlic, and vinegar to preserve and enhance its flavor. The Portuguese cu ...

'' (known more commonly in Tagalog as ''adobo sa gatâ''). There are other dishes which are known by unique names including

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 h ...

, '' laing'' and variants of ''

pinakbet (also called ) is a traditional Filipino cuisine, Filipino vegetable dish that originates from the Ilocos Region of the Philippines. The dish consists of a variety of vegetables and flavored with Bugguong, bugguóng munamón (bagoóng isdâ or ...

'', 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 cake, biscuit, ice cream, and possibly a beverage, such as dessert wine or liqueur. Some cultures sweeten foods that are more commonly umami, ...

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

Visayan Visayans ( Cebuano: ''mga Bisayà'' ) are a Philippine ethnolinguistic family group or metaethnicity native to the Visayas, to the southernmost islands south of Luzon, and to a significant portion of Mindanao. They are composed of numerous di ...

binignit Binignit is a Visayan dessert soup from the central Philippines. The dish is traditionally made with glutinous rice cooked in coconut milk with various slices of sabá bananas, taro, ube, and sweet potato, among other ingredients. It is co ...

'', a

soup Soup is a primarily liquid food, generally served warm or hot – though it is sometimes served chilled – made by cooking or otherwise combining meat or vegetables with Stock (food), stock, milk, or water. According to ''The Oxford Compan ...

made with coconut milk,

glutinous rice Domestication syndrome refers to two sets of phenotypic traits that are common to either domesticated plants or domesticated animals. Domesticated animals tend to be smaller and less aggressive than their wild counterparts; they may also hav ...

tuber Tubers are a type of enlarged structure that plants use as storage organs for nutrients, derived from stems or roots. Tubers help plants perennate (survive winter or dry months), provide energy and nutrients, and are a means of asexual reproduc ...

tapioca Tapioca (; ) is a starch extracted from the tubers of the cassava plant (''Manihot esculenta,'' also known as manioc), a species native to the North Region, Brazil, North and Northeast Region, Brazil, Northeast regions of Brazil, but which has ...

pearls, and

sago Sago () is a starch extracted from the pith, or spongy core tissue, of various tropical palm stems, especially those of ''Metroxylon sagu''. It is a major staple food for the lowland peoples of New Guinea and the Maluku Islands, where it is c ...

is simply called ''ginataan'' in Tagalog (a shortened form of the proper name, ''ginataang

halo-halo ''Haluhalo'' is a popular cold dessert in the Philippines made with crushed ice, evaporated milk or coconut milk, and various ingredients including side dishes such as ube jam (ube halaya), sweetened kidney beans or garbanzo beans, coco ...

''). This soup is also called ''"giná-tan"'' in

Bikolano Central Bikol, commonly called Bikol Naga or simply Bikol, is an Austronesian language spoken by the Bicolanos, primarily in the Bicol Region The Bicol Region, designated as Region V, is an administrative region of the Philippines. It compr ...

, ''"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 Pinaltok or Bilo-bilo is a Filipino dessert made of small glutinous balls (sweet sticky rice flour rounded up by adding water) in coconut milk and sugar. Then jackfruit, saba bananas, sweet potatoes, taro, and tapioca pearls or sago (regular an ...

''. ''

Ginataang mais ''Ginataang mais'' is a Filipino sweet corn and rice gruel. It is also known as ''lugaw na mais'' ( Kapampangan: ''lelut mais''). It is a type of dessert '' lugaw'' and '' ginataan''. It is eaten warm in colder months, but may be eaten cold ...

'' 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 sweetcorn, 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 rec ...

, and glutinous rice.

List of ''ginataan'' dishes

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

Main dishes

* Adobo sa gata *Beef kulma *

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 sau ...

* Ginataang ampalaya * Ginataang hipon *

Ginataang isda ''Ginataang isda'' is a Filipino fish stew made from Fish as food, fish and leafy vegetables in coconut milk with garlic, ginger, onion, ''patis (sauce), patis'' (fish sauce) or ''bagoong alamang'' (shrimp paste), and salt and pepper. It is a ty ...

* Ginataang kalabasa * Ginataang kuhol * Ginataang labong *

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 ...

* Ginataang manok *Ginataang Puso ng Saging * Ginataang ubod * Ginisang munggo sa gata * Gising-gising (ginataang sigarilyas) * Inubarang manok *

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, where ...

Kinilaw ''Kinilaw'' ( or , literally "eaten raw") is a raw seafood dish and preparation method native to the Philippines. It is more accurately a cooking process that relies on vinegar and acidic fruit juices (usually citrus) to denature the ingredi ...

*Kinunot *

Kulawo ''Kulawo'' is a Cuisine of the Philippines, Filipino salad made with either minced banana blossoms (''kulawong puso ng saging'') or grilled eggplant (''kulawong talong'') cooked in coconut milk which distinctively is extracted from grated cocon ...

* 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 ...

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 sh ...

* Pininyahang hipon * Pininyahang manok * Piyanggang manok *Piyassak *

Rendang Rendang is a fried meat or dry curry made of meat stewed in coconut milk and spices, widely popular across Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and the Philippines, where each version is considered local cuisine. It refers to both a cooking m ...

* Sinanglay *

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 com ...

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 ha ...

(Bicol express) *Sinina *

Sorol Sorol is a coral atoll of nine islands in the central Caroline Islands in the Pacific Ocean, and forms a legislative district in Yap State in the Federated States of Micronesia. Sorol is located approximately south of Ulithi and southeast of t ...

* Tinumok *Tinumtuman *

Tiyula itum ''Tiyula itum'' ( English: "black soup") is a Filipino braised beef or goat soup or a stew dish which originally was made by the Tausug people. The dish is characteristically black due to the unique use of charred coconut meat. Etymology The ...

Dessert

Bibingka ''Bibingka'' (; ) is a type of baked rice cake in Filipino cuisine that is cooked in a terracotta oven lined with banana leaves and is usually eaten for breakfast or as merienda (mid-afternoon snack), especially during the Christmas season. I ...

* Biko *

Bilo-bilo Pinaltok or Bilo-bilo is a Filipino dessert made of small glutinous balls (sweet sticky rice flour rounded up by adding water) in coconut milk and sugar. Then jackfruit, saba bananas, sweet potatoes, taro, and tapioca pearls or sago (regular an ...

Binagol ''Binagol'' is a Filipino sweet steamed delicacy of the Waray people made from mashed giant taro corms, condensed milk, sugar, coconut milk, and egg yolks. It is distinctively placed in half of a coconut shell and then wrapped in banana leave ...

* Binaki * Biyaki *

Binignit Binignit is a Visayan dessert soup from the central Philippines. The dish is traditionally made with glutinous rice cooked in coconut milk with various slices of sabá bananas, taro, ube, and sweet potato, among other ingredients. It is co ...

*Biniribid *

Cassava cake Cassava cake is a traditional Philippine cuisine, Filipino moist cake made from grated cassava, coconut milk, and condensed milk with a custard layer on top. It is a very popular dish in the Philippines, where it is commonly eaten for merienda ...

* Coconut toffee (Balikutsa, Butong-butong, Tira-tira, Gináok, Pulot) ** Matamís sa báo (Sundot kulangot) * Daral *

Espasol ''Espasol'' is a chewy and soft, cylinder-shaped Filipino rice cake. It is made from glutinous rice flour cooked in coconut milk and sweetened coconut strips and, afterwards, dusted or coated with toasted rice flour. Originating from the pro ...

* Ginataang munggo *

Ginataang saba ''Ginataang saba'' is a Filipino dessert made from ripe saba or cardaba bananas stewed in sweetened coconut milk. It is traditionally eaten warm, but it can also be eaten chilled. It is a type of ginataan. It is also known as ''saba sa gata' ...

* Guinomis *

Kalamay ''Kalamay'' (also spelled ''calamay'', literally "sugar") is a sticky sweet delicacy that is popular in many regions of the Philippines. It is made of coconut milk, brown sugar, and ground glutinous rice. It can also be flavored with margarine, ...

*Kaluko (Kinaluko) *

Latik ''Latík'' () refers to two different coconut-based ingredients in Filipino cuisine. In the Visayan region it refers to a syrupy caramelized coconut cream (coconut caramel) used as a dessert sauce. In the northern Philippines, it refers to ...

Maja blanca ''Maja blanca'' () is a Filipino dessert with a gelatin-like consistency made primarily from coconut milk. Also known as coconut pudding, it is usually served during '' fiestas'' and during the holidays, especially Christmas. Description ''Ma ...

* Moche * Morón *

Nilupak Nilupak is a class of traditional Filipino delicacies made from mashed or pounded starchy foods mixed with coconut milk (or condensed milk and butter) and sugar. They are molded into various shapes and traditionally served on banana leaves wi ...

Panyalam ''Panyalam'' or ''panyam'', is a traditional Philippine cuisine, Filipino-Moro people, Bangsamoro fried rice cake, rice pancake. It is made with galapong, ground glutinous rice, ''muscovado'' (or brown sugar), and coconut milk mixed into a bat ...

* Pinakro * Salukara *

Sapin-sapin Sapin-sapin is a layered glutinous rice and coconut dessert in Philippine cuisine. It is made from rice flour, coconut milk, sugar, water, flavoring, and coloring. It is usually sprinkled with latik or grated coconut among other toppings. The d ...

* Sayongsong (Balisungsong, Sarungsong) * Suman *

Tupig ''Tupig'', also known as ''intemtem'' or ''kangkanen'', is a Filipino rice cake originating from northwestern Luzon, particularly the regions of Pangasinan, Tarlac, and Ilocos. It is made from ground slightly-fermented soaked glutinous rice ( ...

Ube halaya ''Ube halaya'' or ''halayang ube'' (also spelled ''halea'', ''haleya''; ) is a Filipino cuisine, Filipino dessert made from boiled and mashed purple yam (''Dioscorea alata'', locally known as ''ube''). Ube halaya is the main base in ube/purple ...

References