Why adobo is the most-talked about Filipino dish right now (2024)

FAQs

Why is adobo most popular in the Philippines? ›

History. The cooking method for the Philippine adobo is indigenous to the Philippines. The various precolonial peoples of the Philippine archipelago often cooked or prepared their food with vinegar and salt in various techniques to preserve them in the tropical climate.

Adobo utilizes the acid in the vinegar and the high salt content of soy sauce to produce an undesirable environment for bacteria. Its delicious flavor and preserving qualities served to increase adobo's popularity. The adobo was traditionally cooked in clay pots but today is made in more common metal pots or woks.

Adobo is a dish that is native to the Philippines, it has been a part of the country's cuisine and heritage for centuries. Its simple ingredients and quick preparation make it one of the most common dishes in the Philippines.

Pre-colonial Influences: Before the arrival of the Spanish, indigenous Filipinos had their unique methods of food preservation, often using vinegar, salt, and native spices. The concept of marinating meat in a mixture of these ingredients laid the foundation for what would later become adobo.

The unofficial national dish of the Philippines, adobo is a vinegary, garlicky, addictive dish that's worth celebrating every day.

International food database Taste Atlas has included the two well-loved Filipino dishes on their annual 100 Best Dishes in the World list for 2021. Adobo (4.3 stars) came in 81st place, beating France's Fondue Savoyarde in 85th place, China's Kung Pao chicken in 86th, and Italy's puttanesca, which was in 92nd place.

In Mexico, adobo sauce starts with dried chiles like guajillo and ancho peppers. The chiles are rehydrated and combined into a thick paste with an acid like vinegar or citrus juice and flavorful additions like onions, garlic, cumin, and oregano.

A Filipino specialty, adobo is a braised meat dish derived from native techniques and named by Spanish explorers. There are other types of adobo in other former Spanish colonies, particularly Latin America, but their origins are mostly different.

“It's a symbol and expression of Filipino pride that varies from region to region, family to family, palate to palate. The history is rich, the taste is unmatched, and the aromas are enticing – the children in today's artwork would definitely agree!

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.

What goes with Filipino adobo? ›

Some side dishes that go beautifully with Filipino adobo are fluffy white rice, brown rice, quinoa or mashed potatoes. You'll want something starchy to soak up the delicious sauce. A simple green salad or cucumber salad would be the perfect side dish with chicken adobo.

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.

Adobo, arguably the best-known Filipino dish, is a by-product of both Chinese and Spanish influence. In Spanish cuisine, adobo refers to a pickling sauce made from olive oil, vinegar, garlic, oregano, paprika, thyme, bay leaf and salt.

Did you know we have over 100 variations of adobo? Here are some of the different ways that the different parts of the country prepare everyone's favorite Filipino food.

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.