 | |
| Alternative names | Sinilihan |
|---|---|
| Type | Stew |
| Course | Main |
| Place of origin | Philippines |
| Region or state | Bicol |
| Main ingredients | Longchilies,coconut milk,shrimp paste orstockfish,onion,pork,garlic,ginger |
| Variations | Inulukan,ginataang isda,laing,pinakbet,gulay na may lada,pinangat,dinamita,gising-gising |
Bicol express, known natively in Bikol assinilihan (lit. ''spiced with chili''), is a commonFilipino dish which was popularized in the district ofMalate, Manila, but made in traditionalBicolano style. It is a stew made fromlong chili peppers (siling haba inTagalog) orsmall chili peppers (siling labuyo in Tagalog), coconut milk orcoconut cream (kakang gata in Tagalog),shrimp paste (bagoong alamang in Tagalog) orstockfish, onion, pork, ginger and garlic. The dish was named byLaguna residentCely Kalaw during a cooking competition in the 1970s in Malate, Manila. The name was inspired by the Bicol Express railway train (Philippine National Railways) that operated from Tutuban, Manila toLegazpi, Albay, the regional center of the Bicol region.
The widely-known name for this dish in the Bicol Region of the Philippines was identified asgulay na may lada, which is currently one of the vegetarian variants of the Bicol express dish. As time progressed, variants of the Bicol express dish expanded with seafood, beef,pescetarian,vegetarian,vegan, and other versions. The preparations for these dishes vary according to the meat present within the dish.
In terms of nutritional value, the original version of the Bicol express dish is beneficial in protein but unhealthy in regards to its high levels ofsaturated fats and cholesterol. The dish has moved intofood processing and commercial production so that it can be sold conveniently and stored for a longer period of time.
The Bicol express dish had been formally named by aLaguna native, Cely Kalaw, as a result of her cooking competition experience in the 1970s at Malate, Manila.[1][2] She created this new dish derived fromrendang that existed in the Philippines since theSulu Sultanate era in response to her customers' high interest for a spicy and sizzlingtaro dish.[3] While trying to determine a name for the dish, Kalaw's brother heard the sound of Philippine National Railways trains traveling by Kalaw's restaurant to Manila.[1][3] This event inspired Kalaw to name the dishBicol express after the PNR train that is programmed to undergo the Manila-Legazpi route.[4][5]
Prior to Kalaw's formal terminology of the Bicol express dish, a similarIlocano meal was recognised asgulay na may lada in the Bicol region.[6]Gulay na may lada is a vegetarian variant of the dish that consists of exactly the same ingredients as the Bicol express dish, except it lacks the meat components of the meal (pork chunks and shrimp paste).[2] There is aBicolano influence in the creation of the Bicol express as Kalaw's upbringing is situated in the regions of Bicol.[7][8] This upbringing provided her with the knowledge about creating Bicolano cuisine.[8][2]
During the 1960s, the Bicol express dish was created and sold by people in the Bicol Region despite a lack of name for the dish. Bicolanos would wait at theSipocot station,Camarines Sur, for a train to make a temporary stop and they would start selling the dish to the passengers.[1][8] The dish was stored in a plastic bag and the rice was wrapped in a bundle oftaro leaves.[9] The dish's convenient setup allowed it to be easily sold and spread across the region of Bicol. However, food selling on trains became prohibited on the PNR train lines and so the dish's relevance diminished over time until Kalaw was able to reintroduce and popularise the dish in her restaurant in Malate, Manila.[3][1]
The ingredients of coconut andchili peppers are predominant in dishes originating from the Bicol community.[10][11][12] Both of these ingredients areendemic across the provinces of Bicol.[4] There are over 50 million coconut-bearing trees in Bicol.[13] The region also meets the criteria for highly suitable wet conditions for coconut-growing zones.[13]
Siling labuyo (small chili pepper) is commonly used in many Bicolano dishes.[5][14] Under theScoville scale, thesiling labuyo is 100,000 Scoville Heat Units (SHU) andsiling haba is 50,000 SHU, but this can vary depending on the conditions of the peppers' growing environments.[15] Thesiling labuyo in Bicol is much spicier than thesiling labuyo in Manila, which makes it one of the spiciest chili peppers in the Philippines.[11][1][16] Thesiling labuyo peppers were introduced bySpanish settlers during their exploration of the New World.[17][14]
The ingredients for the main preparation of making the original Bicol express dish are oil, ginger, garlic, onion, pork chunks,coconut cream/milk,siling haba (long chili peppers),bagoong alamang (shrimp paste) and a side of rice.[1]
The first step to creating this dish is to pour oil into the pan at a medium level of heat. All of the garlic, onion and ginger needs to be diced up into sizes of 1-cm cubes. The use of garlic and onion inFilipino cuisine have been influenced by the Spaniards who sautéed these ingredients to enrich the flavors of their meals.[17] These three ingredients are then placed into the pan and cooked for three minutes. Next, the pork chunks are added into the pan and cooked until it darkens to brown. The pork is the main ingredient that establishes the basis of the Bicol express dish and differentiates it from other variations.[10] After the pork has turned brown, the coconut cream/milk is poured into the pan andsimmered for a couple minutes under low levels of heat. Next, after 30 minutes of saturating thesiling haba undersalted water, drain the water and cut up thesiling haba into 1-inch slices and add into the pan.[8]
Siling haba is used instead ofsiling labuyo, as the SHU levels of thesiling haba is only 50,000 SHU,[15] which will allow thespiciness to be more manageable for the customers.[1] However,siling labuyo is still used in creating the Bicol express within the Bicol Peninsula as the natives are more accustomed to thespiciness.[10][14] The last ingredient added into the pan is thebagoong alamang (shrimp paste). Bicolano residents retrievealamang (shrimp) naturally throughcast netting and thenferment the shrimp to createbagoong alamang.[1] Despite the traditional use ofbagoong forseasoning purposes in otherFilipino cuisines, freshlyfermentedbagoong alamang enhances the flavors of the Bicol express by being the "base of the sauce for the dish".[18] The Bicol express dish is served hot with a bowl of rice on the side. Rice is fundamental in the diet of Filipino cuisines and the Bicol express dish would be incomplete without this important ingredient.[17]
There are numerous seafood variations of the Bicol express dish. The meat of the dish can be replaced with fish (tilapia),crab,manta rays,shark,shrimp, etc, to alter the taste and texture of the dish. All of these dishes continue to be served with a hot bowl of rice.
Ginataang Tilapia orGinataang Isda is one of these variations. Thetilapia is boiled under thekatang gata (coconut cream)[19] andvinegar, and mixed withsiling labuyo, onion and garlic. The dish differentiates from the Bicol express Tilapia as there is vinegar added into theGinataang to provide it a more sour flavour.[20]
A more unique example is theKinunot na Pating, orKinunot for short. This dish is similar to the Bicol express meal except that the pork chunks are replaced with pieces of shark bits[21] ormanta ray meat.[22][7] This changes the texture of the meal and gives the person eating the dish a more exotic experience.[7]
Inulukan is another variant of the Bicol express dish (SeeInulukan for more) that usesriver crabs as the meat basis of thedelicacy instead of pork chunks.[7][12] All of the ingredients are then stored into ataro leave bundle and then simmered under thekakanggata (coconut cream).[23][12]
Beef is anothermeat replacement that can be cooked with in the creation of a Bicol express meal. The dish uses the same preparation process as the original Bicol express method. However, the beef is not as tender as the pork chunks, though it can be prepared and cooked faster in the pan than the pork.[24]
Pinakbet is a pescatarian alternative for the Bicol express dish. This dish originates from theIlocano community, and they use vegetables to replace the pork chunk component of the meal.[10] These vegetables arebok choy (pechay in Tagalog) and theshoots ofsweet potatoes (camote tops inFilipino lingo).[25][10] The seafood component of this dish is the incorporation ofalamang (shrimp) into the sauce to elevate the flavors of the meal.[18]
Gulay na may lada is the oldest known vegetarian variant of the Bicol express dish that is created using the traditional-ways of cooking within the Bicol Peninsula.[2][6]
The Bicol Express dish have been transformed into avegan form using various ingredient replacements. The pork is substituted withtofu andshiitake mushrooms are added to restore the texture of the dish.[26] Vegetable paste andgluten-freesoy sauce are used to replace thebagoong alamang that bases the rich flavors of the dish'sbroth.[26]
Another type of Bicol express variants is one of Bicol's other signature dishes,Pinangat (orLaing) which is exactly the same as the Bicol express's original recipe, except it does not contain onions.[27][9] All the ingredients of thePinangat dish is then wrapped withtaro leaves and cooked underkatang gata (coconut cream).[23][7][11][9][10][21]
The nutritional value of the Bicol express dish observes a range of benefits and a couple of poor effects on the body. The negative impacts of this dish is its high levels ofsaturated fats andcholesterol that makes it an incompatible diet for weight loss.[28] Thesiling labuyo used in the Bicol express provides the dish with its rich levels ofvitamin C,iron andmagnesium.[14] In Filipino practices,siling labuyo have been utilized as a form oftraditional home remedy for treatingtooth pains.[29][14] The Bicol express dish is also a rich source forprotein and it will have plenty of health benefits for the body.[30][28] The dish estimates around having 308 calories per 246 grams of serving, which approximately fifty percent of the calories come from the fats.[31][28]
Unlike the historical versions of selling Bicol express in plastic bags and rice in taro leaves,[1][9] advanced technologies have allowed the dish to be stocked in a more convenient set-up. In 2012, the food processing of Bicol express into glass jars was considered by theLlaguno family.[23] ThePhilippines' Department of Science and Technology aided in extending the shelf life of these processed dishes for another year and the commercial production of processed Bicol express meals began to proliferate.[23]
