You may have eaten or seen several dishes that differ in flavor and presentation that are all called adobo. It’s not a mistake; adobo is a dish with many permutations, all of which should be celebrated. The word adobo is a derivative of the Spanish word adobar, which translates to marinade in English. Spanish colonizers carried the word “adobo” to the regions they conquered, so adobo means something different depending on where you are in the Spanish diaspora. In some places, adobo is a dry seasoning rub. In others, the spices are combined with vinegar and fresh ingredients to create a marinade called adobo. In the Philippines, it’s neither of those things. Confused? Don’t be. Better understanding these dishes and their nuances will help you be a more informed cook and consumer. Here’s how adobo traveled the world.
Spanish adobo is a long-marinated protein
Adobo has its roots in prehistoric times. Vinegar was used by early cooks to store and preserve meat before cooling and refrigeration were available. While this concept was used by indigenous people around the world, the Spanish were the people to call it “adobo.”
In Spain, the adobo you’ll find on restaurant menus refers to the process of marinating raw protein in vinegar, spices, and aromatics including pimentón, fresh garlic, and bay leaves. Wine and/or olive oil often make an appearance. The meat marinates for up to a couple of days and is then cooked, resulting in a deeply flavorful protein. As the Spanish colonized much of the world, they took the technique, which can also be used for food preservation, with them.
Caribbean adobo is a dry spice blend and a marinade
The Spanish landed in the Caribbean in the late 1490s. Their first stop was what is present-day Dominican Republic and the islands that surround it, Puerto Rico and Cuba.
On the islands, it was harder to get fresh ingredients like garlic, and olive oil and wine were scarcely available. People adapted, using dry ingredients like garlic powder instead of fresh and omitting the oil and wine altogether.
Today, all over the Caribbean, adobo is widely used as an all-purpose dry spice blend, consisting of paprika, oregano, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, and turmeric. It is a beloved staple in most Puerto Rican home kitchens. This variety of adobo is used as a dry brine, added to proteins prior to cooking to amplify flavor, and added to sauces like mojo or sofrito. You’ll also find wet versions, mojados, for which vinegar or sour orange juice is added to the dry spices to make a paste. The paste is used to marinate proteins, similar to the Spanish method.
“Every Puerto Rican household that I’ve ever been to has adobo in it, and if they don’t … run,” jokes chef Eric Rivera. “We pretty much treat it like salt. There are different ways you can add it, if you’re marinating something or at the beginning of making a one-pot dish, like a rice dish, vegetables, or a meat dish or something that you're braising. [Adobo] pretty much starts the party. It’s rare that you’ll see it used as a finishing salt.”
Rivera has adapted how he uses adobo in his own cooking for pop-up events he hosts around the country. He uses it as a salt, a seasoning, and to cure meat, adding pink salt to some blends.
Get the Recipe: Mamposteao with Shrimp and Adobo
Mexican adobo is a wet marinade
After the Spanish conquered Mexico in 1519, they brought adobo to kitchens there, this time as a vinegar-based marinade similar to the version found in Spain. They adapted adobo to use ingredients endemic to the region, including chilies like ancho and guajillo instead of pimentón. In her recipe for adobo, chef Claudette Zepeda toasts dried chiles, then rehydrates them in boiling water before blending them into a paste with vinegar to make the adobo for her Birria Tacos recipe.
Another staple of Mexican cooking is chipotle en adobo, which are smoked and dried jalapenos that have been rehydrated and stored in a marinade of tomatoes, chiles, garlic, vinegar, and spices. The result is a spicy, smoky, deeply flavorful ingredient that is added to salsa or to a pot of cooking beans, soups, and stews like pozole to deepen the flavor. The sauce can be used as a marinade by itself or combined with other ingredients. You can purchase canned chipotle en adobo in many supermarkets or make it at home.
Get the Recipe: Barbacoa de Res with Adobo Marinade
Filipino adobo is a stew
In the Philippines, the concept of adobo was around long before the Spanish arrived in 1521. Like the native people of the Iberian Peninsula, indigenous people in the Philippines had long used vinegar and salt to preserve proteins. When Chinese traders arrived in the Philippines in the 9th century, they brought soy sauce, which was soon added to the marinade (the earliest iterations of Filipino-style adobo are referred to as “white adobo,” as they did not include soy sauce).
When Spanish colonizers arrived and witnessed the similar preservation method, they named the Filipino method after their own adobo. This technique can also be seen in kinilaw, a Filipino style of ceviche, for which the raw fish is “washed” with vinegar prior to being placed in its final vinegar or citrus marinade.
As in Puerto Rico, adobo is beloved in most Filipino households; it’s the unofficial dish of the Philippines, even as it varies by region or household. Most modern-day Filipino adobo is prepared with vinegar and soy sauce. Some families keep it simple with vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, bay leaves, and black pepper. Others add fresh ginger or coconut milk. The proteins also vary; most commonly, you’ll find chicken or pork adobo, and it can be made with squid, fish, or vegetables.
Get the Recipe: Adobo Chicken Wings
Adobo in South America and beyond
Because the Spanish conquered the Incan Empire, you’ll also find adobo in Peru. Peruvian adobo is similar to the Spanish version and is traditionally cooked in a clay pot. In Uruguay, the adobo is similar to the Puerto Rican dry spice blend. In Portugal, adobo is called carne de vinha d'alhos; you’ll find variations of the Portuguese iteration in the countries they passed through and colonized; pork vindaloo from Goa, India, is a variation on this technique.
Adobo is a dish that is usually made with meat (chicken, pork, or beef) marinated in vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, and other spices. The meat is slowly cooked until it becomes tender and flavorful. Adobo is often served with rice and is a staple dish in many Filipino households.
When we describe Adobo as a "native dish," we are acknowledging Adobo's place in the cultural history and cuisine of the Philippines. Adobo is a dish that is native to the Philippines, it has been a part of the country's cuisine and heritage for centuries.
As in Puerto Rico, adobo is beloved in most Filipino households; it's the unofficial dish of the Philippines, even as it varies by region or household. Most modern-day Filipino adobo is prepared with vinegar and soy sauce. Some families keep it simple with vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, bay leaves, and black pepper.
The key components of Filipino adobo are vinegar, protein, salt (or soy sauce, after Chinese traders arrived in the islands), garlic, and black peppercorns. One of the reasons adobo got its unofficial “national dish” title was because its ingredients are widely accessible across each region in the Philippines.
Philippine adobo has a characteristically salty and sour, and often sweet taste, in contrast to Spanish and Mexican adobos, which are spicier or infused with oregano.
Adobo is more than just a dish. It is a cultural symbol that represents the country's history and identity, which is why adobo is so popular in the Philippines. The dish's versatility and simplicity reflect the resourcefulness and ingenuity of Filipinos in making the most out of available ingredients.
What Chicken Adobo tastes like. The glaze of Filipino Chicken Adobo is savoury and sweet with a hint of tang, with a distinct soy flavour. The garlic and onion creates a savoury base along with the bay leaves, and the peppercorns add little subtle pops of heat. Don't be afraid of the peppercorns in this!
Adobo is a delicious Filipino dish with nutritional value, primarily as a source of protein and essential vitamins and minerals. However, be aware of portion sizes, the type of meat used, and the sodium content to enjoy the dish as part of a balanced and healthy diet.
"Adobo in Spanish literally translates to marinate or to pickle from the bottom," Borsil explained. "The way this food is cooked is really through a use of vinegar and preservation.
There's no doubt that adobo is a mainstay in Philippine cuisine — thanks to its complex flavours rooted from a simple vinegar-braised method, it's one of the most well-known gateway dishes that introduces foreigners to the curious and nuanced world of Filipino food.
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy. An iconic Filipino dish, chicken adobo features succulent chicken simmered in a sauce of vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, bay leaves, black pepper, and creamy coconut milk.
In English, adobo means “vinegar-braised.” Evenly-cut chunks of meat are first seared in hot fat or oil until they brown. Braising liquids, such as vinegar and soy sauce, are then added, and the mixture is left to simmer over low heat.
When the Spaniards arrived, they saw how the Filipinos used vinegar to marinate their chicken, pork, and fish. The Spanish word 'adobar' refers to a marinade or pickling sauce. In his writings, Pedro de San Buenaventura labeled the Filipino version 'adobo de los naturales' – adobo of the natives. The name stuck.
This sodium-free blend is an excellent all-purpose seasoning for meats, stews, roasted veggies, rice dishes, and even as a guacamole enhancer. We asked our spice experts what they love most about adobo and how they cook with it. Below you will discover some tasteful inspiration and simple recipes for this spice blend.
Philippines. In Filipino cuisine, adobo refers to a common and indigenous cooking method. In the late 16th century, the Spanish referred to it as adobo due to its superficial similarity.
Considered by many to be the national dish of the Philippines, adobo reflects the regionality of the archipelago's 7,640 islands. In some regions, coconut milk is added for adobo sa gata, and not all adobos even contain soy sauce.
Adobo is indigenous to the Philippines. In a tropical climate, Filipinos had to find a safe and delicious way to preserve their meat. With no refrigeration, they soaked them in vinegar, salt, and spices so the meat would not spoil. Soy sauce, which has a high salt content, was later added to help preserve the food.
The adobo was traditionally cooked in clay pots but today is made in more common metal pots or woks. When the Spanish invaded and settled in the Philippines during the 16th century, they witnessed this traditional Filipino cooking method and called it adobo, which is the Spanish word for marinade.
What does Filipino adobo taste like? With the mix of vinegar, soy sauce and garlic, Filipino adobo is a savory dish that is a little tangy, a little sweet and a little salty. The blend and balance of sour and sweet in one dish is a hallmark of Filipino cuisine overall.
Adobo is not just a dish, but also a cultural symbol that represents the history and identity of the Philippines. It is widely popular in the country due to its versatility and simplicity, reflecting the resourcefulness of Filipinos in using available ingredients.
Adobo is not just a dish, it is a cooking method which uses a lot of souring agents to prevent meats from spoiling or decaying. It is a very popular preservation method here in the Philippines because our climate is hot, and foods that are prepared on the table can become spoiled easily.
The dish was chicken adobo, a salty, garlicky, peppery, boldly flavored, umami-rich dish of comfort, each soy-glazed tender bite full of all the things we love about food: it's rich from the slow braise of chicken thighs; a little tangy from the vinegar it's simmered in, together with soy sauce the two ingredients ...
Why is Filipino adobo celebrated today? This day holds significant importance as it marks the inclusion of the term 'adobo' in the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) for the first time in December 2006.
What is it made out of? The smoky adobo sauce is a purée of dried ancho and guajillo chiles, tomatoes, vinegar, onions, garlic, and various spices based on regional preferences such as peppercorns, paprika, oregano, cumin and cinnamon all simmered together to create the deeply fragrant, smoky, ruddy sauce.
Essentially, when you "adobo" something, you're likely marinating or cooking it in vinegar and soy sauce. What is the smell of adobo? When you prepare adobo, the aroma of vinegar and fragrant bay leaves fills the air, triggering a flood of happy memories.
The term adobo is derived from the Spanish word adobar, meaning marinade. The practice of marinating meat in a flavorful mixture made from vinegar, salt, garlic, paprika, and oregano was common to Spanish cooking.
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