Sinigang

The chicken version, on the other hand, is called sinampalukang manok. I prefer to use either pork belly or buto-buto when cooking sinigang. The latter refers to cuts with bones intact. These are either pork neck bones, chopped spare ribs, and chopped baby back ribs. Pork shoulder and ham can also be used when cooking sinigang.

I grew-up eating pork sinigang at least once a week with a saucer of fish sauce and crushed siling labuyo on the side as my dipping sauce. During rainy days, I enjoy my sinigang  meal with rice and a few pieces of fried tuyo. These are small fish that were salted and dried under the sun. It is a good combination as far as I am concerned.

How to Cook Sinigang

The old school method of cooking sinigang makes use for fresh young tamarind. This has to be boiled until enough sourness is extracted from it. In this recipe, I boiled the tamarind in 2 quarts of water for 40 minutes. It can be done for up to 1 hour for optimal results.

Once the flavors are extracted from the fruit, the solid parts of the tamarind need to be removed. Do this by running the water into a kitchen sieve or a strainer. I recommend squeezing the tamarind afterwards. You will be surprised on how much flavors are left in the pulp.

Traditional sinigang is cooked plainly by boiling all the ingredients together. Start by pouring the tamarind broth (in step 1) into a cookware of your choice. Deep and wide pots are perfect for this.

Boil the liquid and then add some onion and tomato. This will add flavor to the broth. This is also the proper time to add the pork belly. Make sure to cover your pot so that the liquid can boil quickly.

Skim-off the floating scums, add a bit of fish sauce for flavor, and then cover and simmer until the pork becomes tender. This can take between 45 to 90 minutes depending on the quality of the meat.

Not all vegetables cook at the same time. This is the reason why I am adding the sinigang veggies by batch.

The first batch of veggies to add are daikon radish and eggplants. Some people also add their string beans at this point if they want it to be extra soft later on. I prefer mine to be a bit crisp.

After 5 minutes of cooking in low heat (above simmering temp), add the long green peppers, string beans, remaining tomatoes, and okra and continue cooking for 3 minutes.

There is one vegetable that needs to be added yet. I am referring to the water spinach. I personally add the stalk and leaves on the later part of the process to retain its freshness. It is important to serve the soup right away (while piping hot) for best results.

For this step, I added the stalks of the water spinach and seasoned the dish with fish sauce (patis) and ground black pepper (this ingredient is optional). Quickly cook it for around 2 minutes before adding the water spinach leaves. Cover and turn the heat off. You will basically be cooking the leaves using the residual heat inside the pot. Do this for 3 to 5 minutes. It should be enough for you to prepare the rice and side dishes on the dining table before announcing to everyone that dinner (or lunch) is served.

What fruits are used in sinigang to make taste sour?

The quality of this dish depends on the souring agent. These fruit ingredients can make the soup sour:

Tamarind

The most common and widely used is unripe tamarind. It is known as sampaloc in the Philippines and this ingredient is where the popular “instant sinigang mixes” are derived from.

Young tamarind has a higher concentration of tartaric acid, which gives it a tangy and sour taste. This sourness is especially pronounced in young tamarind pods or when using the pulp extracted from them.

Guava

Guavas can vary in flavor depending on their ripeness and variety, but they typically have a sweet and tangy taste. Some varieties of guava can be more sour than others, especially if they are not fully ripe. However, ripe guavas tend to have a pleasant balance of sweetness and tartness. Overall, while guavas can have a slightly sour undertone, they are generally known for their sweet and aromatic flavor.

Bilimbi (Kamias)

Bilimbi is a tropical fruit-bearing tree originating from Indonesia, though it is also present in other regions of Southeast Asia and certain Pacific islands. The fruit of the bilimbi tree resembles a small cucumber or green chili pepper, typically measuring between 4 to 10 centimeters in length. Its taste profile is characterized by a tart and sour flavor akin to that of a green plum or sour green apple.

In culinary practices, bilimbi finds frequent use in sour dishes, pickles, relishes, and preserves. It is also incorporated into various cuisines for curries, sauces, and salads. Given its acidic nature, bilimbi serves as a viable alternative to vinegar or tamarind in certain recipes. Furthermore, bilimbi holds significance in traditional medicine for its purported medicinal properties, believed to offer diverse health benefits.

Green Mango

Green mangoes are typically sour. The level of sourness can vary depending on the variety of mango and its stage of ripeness. Green or unripe mangoes have a firmer texture and a tart, tangy flavor due to their higher levels of acidity. As mangoes ripen and mature, they become sweeter and less sour, with a softer texture. Green mangoes are commonly used in various cuisines to add a sour or tangy flavor to dishes, such as salads, chutneys, pickles, and sauces.

Pineapple

Pineapple can contribute to making a soup taste sour, especially if it is used in large quantities or if the pineapple itself is particularly ripe and acidic. Pineapples contain natural acids, such as citric acid and malic acid, which can impart a tangy flavor to dishes.

The sourness of a pineapple is often balanced by its sweetness, creating a pleasant and refreshing taste. Some varieties of pineapples may be naturally sweeter or more acidic than others. Additionally, the way pineapples are grown, harvested, and stored can also affect their taste.

However, the degree of sourness imparted by pineapple will depend on various factors, including how it is prepared and cooked, as well as the other ingredients used in the soup. Overall, pineapple can contribute to making a soup taste sour, but its impact on the overall flavor will depend on the specific recipe and culinary preferences.

Cotton Fruit (Santol)

Cotton fruit, also known as santol, typically has a sour taste when unripe. However, as the fruit ripens, its flavor can vary. Ripe cotton fruit can be sweet with a hint of sourness, especially near the skin or closer to the seeds. The level of sourness can also depend on the specific variety of cotton fruit and individual preferences.

The best vegetable soup in the world!

Of the many soups and stews that proliferate Filipino cuisine, it can be sure that sinigang has no rival. Many meals, both in childhood and adulthood, have been spent sitting in front of the familiarly flavorful broth. Its inviting aroma belies a flavor unlike no other — tart, savory, and refreshing, one can’t help but fall in love with it! With many heralding it as the national Filipino food, it comes as no surprise that its reputation has spread far and wide across the world.

Indeed, in 2021, travel guide TasteAtlas proclaimed our humble dish to be the best vegetable soup in the world! This should come as no surprise to us, either. After all, who can resist the warmth and comfort that a bowl of sinigang brings? Although a staple so common in every household, knowing that sinigang will be the main course of the day can’t help but elicit feelings of excitement and delight. No matter the weather nor the season, sinigang stands both the test of time and climate. This dish brings pleasure wherever it finds a home, and Filipinos continue to relish in its sour, but yummy taste.

Where does sinigang come from?

A mix of tender meat, fresh spinach, string beans, and tomatoes, as well as a dash (or more) of savory fish sauce, make for the perfect combination in simmering and incorporating each unique flavor with each other. Powerful and poignant, sinigang is a Filipino native, through and through. Its name, sinigang, originates from the Tagalog verb that directly translates to “to stew” — sigang! Because of its Tagalog name, many presume it to be Tagalog in origin as well. This yummy meal has relatives in other regions in the country as well, to be sure — yet none are quite like this classic soup that many have fallen in love with.

Again, sinigang isn’t a dish so much as it is a cooking method. This is why, like we mentioned earlier, there are a wide number of variations of this delicious dish! These include your sinigang na hipon, a favorite seafood variant. Here, tender and fresh shrimp soak up all the vibrant flavors of your beloved stew. It’s important to keep your shrimp perfectly cooked, so it’s much easier to peel the skin off later on. 

And for something a little more out of the box? Try this sinigang mix inasal na manok! Now, these are two dishes you wouldn’t commonly associate with each other. But the thrilling flavors of a sinigang broth, coupled with the smoky taste of inasal, makes this a winning combination. This twist on another Filipino favorite breathes life into your everyday inasal recipe. Sample it for yourself!

Which sinigang variant is your favorite?

Sinigang Ingredients

Pork Belly – I am using 2 lbs. of pork belly for this recipe. This is the same cut of the pork that is used to make bacon. Aside from using pork, you may use beef, chicken, fish, and shrimp.

Young tamarind – This is unripe tamarind. It has a sour taste and is the traditional souring agent for this dish. Other

Water Spinach – Kangkong is the local name for water spinach. Make sure to wash this thoroughly before using.

String Beans – Sitaw, also known as snake beans is a regular component of this dish. Green beans (Baguio beans) can be used as an alternative.

Eggplant – Chinese or Japanese eggplant varieties are best for this dish. I am using 2 pieces for this recipe. Slice the eggplants diagonally or roll-cut it.

Daikon radish – Labanos is the local term for this vegetable. 1 medium sized daikon is enough for your sinigang na baboy. I consider this as an optional ingredient.

Long green pepper – Siling pansigang is a must have as far as I am concerned. You can substitute this with either Jalapeno or Serrano peppers.

Sinigang Alternative Ingredients

This sinigang version makes use of pork belly. Any cuts of pork can be used to make it. Beef and fish can also be utilized.

I am using spinach in this recipe. It is actually an alternative ingredient to kangkong (water spinach), which is the most common type of leafy green vegetable used when cooking sinigang.

Sinigang mix is a powdered product that helps bring-in that good sour taste to sinigang. Old school methods requires boiling either fresh young tamarind or bilimbi for a long time until the flavors are extracted. It is your choice. It is a no-brainer, so I chose flavor and convenience.

Is sinigang really the national dish of the Philippines?

Though many make jokes and proclamations to the same effect, the truth of the matter is that sinigang is only the Philippine’s national dish unofficially. Regardless, some dishes may also rise to the challenge of national dish, and have separate camps of their own! Let’s take a look at some of them now.

For starters, of course, you have sinigang’s topmost competition: adobo! Point blank, adobo is perhaps sinigang’s antithesis: where the latter is sour and tart and soupy, adobo is a salty, savory and saucy dish. The only thing they have in common is their use of juicy and tender pork belly as the main protein. Like sinigang, the term adobo refers to a general cooking method, and not necessarily one particular meal. To adobo something means to marinate it in a combination of soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, and peppercorn. These flavors intermingle so perfectly, you wouldn’t be able to tell one from the other. The result is, to be sure, a dish that is so umami you’d want to drizzle the sauce over your entire plate of rice!

What goes well with sinigang?

This is best served with a condiment composed of fish sauce and crushed fresh Thai chili pepper.

I grew up having salted fried herring (also known as tuyo) as a side dish for my sinigang. The saltiness of the fish complements the sour broth of the soup.

What is a substitute for kangkong?

Kangkong is one of the main ingredients for sinigang. It is recognized under names like water spinach, water morning glory, or Chinese spinach, is a verdant vegetable frequently incorporated into Southeast Asian cooking. With its delicate stems and leaves, it’s frequently prepared through stir-frying, steaming, or inclusion in soups and salads.

You can use the following as alternative ingredients: Spinach, Bok Choy, and Pak Choy.

Other popular Filipino dishes

An additional Filipino favorite would be the tasty lechon! Celebrations across the country just wouldn’t be a celebration without the presence of a gorgeously golden brown pig to complete it.

Flavorful beyond compare, the charm of lechon lies in a crispy exterior that makes way for meat that is succulent and melt-in-your-mouth tasty. Like its previous competitors adobo and sinigang, lechon makes use of the meaty pig as the star of the show. And with lechon, there are just so many different ways you can further your enjoyment of this favored party guest! One such example would be this crispy lechon belly. With delicious lemongrass and scallions, as well as star anise and onion for flavor, this meal spares no expense for tenderness, while also being extremely flavorful. If you’re looking for something that isn’t soupy sinigang, this may be your next best bet!

Sinigang, adobo, and lechon — all different meals, all different methods of preparing the juicy and immaculate pork belly. But which one of these three dishes would you herald as good enough to represent the country? Or does your favorite, perhaps, go above and beyond? Let us know in the comments below!

Try this Filipino Pork Sinigang Recipe. Let me know what you think. We can share ideas and let our opinions be heard by posting a comment.