![]() Shrimp Sinigang (Sinigang na Hipon) | |
Type | Soup orstew |
---|---|
Course | Main course |
Place of origin | Philippines |
Region or state | Tagalog region |
Serving temperature | Hot |
Main ingredients | Meat,vegetables,tamarind,fish sauce,onions,siling mahaba,tomatoes |
Variations | Pork, beef, shrimp, fish, chicken |
~120 | |
Similar dishes | Pinangat na isda,paksiw,kansi,kadyos, baboy, kag langka |
Other information | Can be served in many different forms |
Sinigang, sometimes anglicized assour broth, is a Filipino soup or stew characterized by its sour and savory taste. It is most often associated withtamarind (Filipino:sampalok), although it can use other sour fruits and leaves as the souring agent such as unripe mangoes or rice vinegar. It is one of the more popular dishes inFilipino cuisine. This soup, like most Filipino dishes, is usually accompanied by rice.
Sinigang means "stewed [dish]"; it isnominalized in the form of theTagalogverbsigang, "to stew".[1] While present nationwide,sinigang is seen to be culturallyTagalog in origin, thus the similar sour stews and soups found in theVisayas andMindanao (likelinarang) and in the Province of Pampanga their version of a sour soup is Called "BulangLang". These are regarded as different dishes and differ in the ingredients used.Fish sauce is a common condiment for the stew.
Sinigang is most often associated withtamarind in modern times, but it originally referred to any meat or seafood cooked in a sour and acidic broth, similar to but differentiated frompaksiw (which usesvinegar).[2] Other variations of the dish derive their sourness from native ingredients. These souring agents include unripemangoes, rice vinegar,butterfly tree leaves (alibangbang), citruses (including the nativecalamansi andbiasong),santol,bilimbi (kamias oriba),gooseberry tree fruits (karmay),binukaw fruits (alsobatuan), andlibas fruits, among others.[3][4]Guava, introduced to the Philippines via theManila galleons, is also used.[5] Seasoning powder orbouillon cubes with a tamarind base are commercial alternatives to using natural fruits.[6][7]
Sinigang typically uses meat or seafood (e.g., fish, pork, beef, shrimp, or chicken) stewed withtamarind,tomatoes,garlic, andonions. Other vegetables commonly used in the making of sinigang includeokra,tarocorms (gabi, which serves as a starchy broth thickener[8]), whiteradish (labanós),water spinach (kangkóng),yardlong beans (sitaw) andeggplant (talóng). Most Filipinos like to cook sinigang withlong green peppers (siling haba) to enhance the taste and add a little spice to the dish. Another variation includes adding locally mademiso.
Sinampalukang manók orsinampalukan is technically not a variation of sinigang, as the chicken has to be sautéed in ginger first instead of all the ingredients being placed simultaneously into the pot and brought to a boil.Sinampalukan is also distinguished by its use of shredded tamarind leaves, and is usually made together withginger, onions, tomatoes, eggplant and other vegetables.[13][14]
Other Filipino dishes that are similar tosinigang but distinct includepinangat na isda fromSouthern Luzon andlinarang fromCebu. Both of which also use sour fruits but are restricted to fish or seafood and differ in the other ingredients used.[15][16][17]
There are also similar soured beef stews. They include thecansi from theWestern Visayas islands which use beef andbreadfruit and is soured withbatuan orbilimbi fruits. Because it resembles a cross betweenbulalo andsinigang it is sometimes known assinigang na bulalo.[18] Another soured beef stew issinanglaw fromIlocos which is soured with bilimbi or tamarind, but is unique in that it also includes bitter ingredients likebitter gourd or bile, as is common in Ilocano cuisine.[19]
Around the east coast ofPeninsular Malaysia, particularly in the states ofKelantan andTerengganu, there is a dish calledsinggang that is considered a close relative ofsinigang.[20][21] The common ingredients found in singgang are lemongrass, galangal, garlic, chili andasam gelugur as a souring agent. Eitherbudu ortempoyak would also sometimes be added to further flavourize the dish.[22][23] Terengganu's singgang and Kelantan's singgang differ through an addition of turmeric into the former.[23]
Meanwhile, on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia, another dish that is thought to be similar to singgang is calledpindang.[22]
The TasteAtlas 2021 Awards named “Sinigang” the best soup. It bested theRomanian cuisine Ciorbă de fasole cu afumătură andshōyu ("soy sauce") ramen of Japan.[24] TasteAtlas 2023 chose the dish as one of the Best Dishes in the World, defeatingżurek,steak au poivre, andpho bo.[25]