Adobo - A Comfort Food In The Philippines

Philippines Island is a country in Asia that is full of great things to offer - both for the locals and the international guests. The people are known for their warmth and hospitality. A tourist will find many places here that are comparable to other travel destinations in the world. The cuisine of the Filipinos (This is how the citizens of the Philippines are called.) is savory and delectable especially the "adobo".

The word "adobo" is of Spanish origin which is a term for a marinade. The cooking of adobo is one of the heritages acquired on account of Spanish colonization. With cooking inventiveness, the Filipino "adobo" is no longer the simple Spanish marinade. It has become a process of cooking foods with soy sauce, vinegar and spices.

Anybody who had visited the Philippines could have already tasted this Filipino comfort food. The dish is prepared by even the poorest families. Although it normally has pork, chicken or other meat for its main ingredient, Filipino creativity had applied this method to other main ingredients. Foods that are prepared adobo-style had pork and chicken. But other meat such as beef, goat or lamb, fish, squid and vegetables are used. More exotic varieties are "frog adobo" and "cricket adobo".

What is so great tasting about adobo is the way it is cooked. You can find your ingredients within your reach in the kitchen. They are the regular kitchen spices and condiments - soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, pepper and bay leaf. Depending on your taste, you can add a dash of sugar to add little sweetness to the sauce. Another admirable thing with this dish is that you can alter the flavor, depending on your preference. You can have it in the more sour or salty versions. Just add more of vinegar or soy sauce.

Aside from the taste, "adobo" has one great advantage. It has a longer shelf life that will not spoil even without refrigeration. The vinegar will prevent the growth of bacteria thus preventing spoilage.

Earlier, I have said that this menu can be cooked even by the poorest of families. Well, it is not a secret that the Philippines is a third-world country where majority of the millions of people are living in poverty. But I said, these people have a taste of "adobo", not the meat version but the vegetable kind. Water spinach and sweet potato leaves are edible here and these poor people enjoy "adobo" using only these very cheap green leafy vegetables. Don't you forget that this is nutritious foods; green leafy vegetables are loaded with vitamins and minerals.

And how do you cook this delicacy? Just put all the ingredients together. Simmer over low fire until the main ingredient is cooked and tender. You can serve it hot or cold. This is best eaten with steamed rice and some fresh tomatoes as side dish and here is the precaution - watch your diet!

This news article is brought to you by CLASSIC-CARS - where latest news are our top priority.