 Kapampangansisig served on a hot plate. | |
| Alternative names | Sisig |
|---|---|
| Course | Main course,snack,salad |
| Place of origin | Philippines |
| Region or state | Pampanga region |
| Created by | Modernsisig –Lucia Cunanan; originalsisig – no attributed creator |
| Serving temperature | Hot |
| Main ingredients | Pork jowls, ears, sometimes brain and liver, onions and chili |
| Variations | Chickensisig, beefsisig, squidsisig, tuna orbangus sisig or other fish,tofusisig |
| 293[1] kcal (1,230 kJ) | |
| Similar dishes | Dinakdakan,Kilawin,Tokwa't baboy |
| Other information | Sisig Day, January 3 |
Sisig (/ˈsiːsɪɡ/[2]Tagalog pronunciation:['sisig]) is aFilipino dish made frompork jowl and ears (maskara),pork belly, and chicken liver, which is usually seasoned withcalamansi, onions, andchili peppers. It originates from thePampanga region inLuzon.
Sisig is a staple ofKapampangan cuisine. The city government ofAngeles, Pampanga, through City Ordinance No. 405, series of 2017, declared sizzlingsisig babi ("porksisig") as a tangible heritage of Angeles City.[3]
The earliest known record of the wordsisig can be traced back to 1732, and was recorded byAugustinian friar Diego Bergaño in hisVocabulary of the Kapampangan Language in Spanish and Dictionary of the Spanish Language in Kapampangan.[4][5] Bergaño definessisig as a "salad, including greenpapaya, or greenguava eaten with a dressing of salt, pepper, garlic, and vinegar." The termmanisig as inmanisig manga, a phrase still used today, refers to eating green mangoes dipped in vinegar.
The term also came to be used to a method of preparing fish and meat, especiallypork, which ismarinated in a sour liquid such aslemon juice or vinegar, then seasoned with salt, pepper, and other spices.[6]
Lucia Cunanan of Angeles, also known as "Aling Lucing", has been credited with reinventing the modern version ofsisig.[7] Cunanan's trademarksisig was developed in mid-1974 when she served a concoction of grilled and chopped pig ears and cheeks seasoned with vinegar, calamansi juice, chopped onions and chicken liver and served in hot plates. Today, varieties includesisig ala pizzailo, pork combination, green mussels ortahong, mixed seafood, ostrichsisig, crocodilesisig, spicy python, frogsisig, andtokwa't baboy, among others.[7]
ThePhilippine Department of Tourism has acknowledged that her "Aling Lucing's" restaurant had established Angeles as the "Sisig Capital of the Philippines" in 1974.[8]
The use of the pig's head in the modern versions of the dish is commonly attributed to the readily-accessible supply of cheap excess meat from the commissaries ofClark Air Base inAngeles City, when themilitary bases agreement between the Philippines and the United States were still in effect (1947 to 1991).[9] Pig heads were purchased cheap (or free), since they were not used in preparing meals for theU.S. Air Force personnel stationed there.[10]
According to Cunanan's recipe, preparingsisig comes in three phases: boiling, broiling, and finally grilling.[11] A pig's head is first boiled to remove hairs and to tenderize it. Portions of it are then chopped and grilled or broiled. Finally, coarsely chopped onions are added and served on a sizzling plate.
Variations ofsisig may include pork or chicken liver and/or any of: eggs, ox brains,chicharon (pork cracklings), andmayonnaise; although these additions are common nowadays, they are frowned upon by the traditionalist chefs of Pampanga as it deviates far from the identity of the originalsisig.[12] Recently, local chefs have experimented with ingredients other than pork such aschicken,squid,tuna, andtofu.[12]
Sisig has also been improved into different dishes making it into salad, taco fillings, chicken stuffing, carbonara meat, and others.[13]
The annual "Sisig Festival" (Sadsaran Qng Angeles) is held every year during December inAngeles, Pampanga, celebrating theKapampangan dish. It started in 2003 and was made an annual festival by Mayor Carmelo Lazatin in December 2004 to promote the city's culinary prowess.[14] The festival also features a contest where chefs compete in making dishes, primarilysisig.Congo Grille, a restaurant chain in the country, was the winner in 2006.[15][16][17]
In 2008, the festival was put on hiatus following Aling Lucing's death. In 2014,Ayala Malls'sMarquee Mall incorporated the festival by including it within their annual Big Bite! Northern Food Festival, held every October or November.[citation needed]
The Angeles City Tourism Office organized a festival on April 29, 2017. The revival of the festival was in line with thePhilippine Department of Tourism's Flavors of the Philippines campaign. Now called "Sisig Fiesta", the festivities were held at Valdes Street, Angeles (also known as "Crossing" since it was a former railroad track), where Aling Lucing reinvented the dish. The newly revived Sisig Fiesta was a one-day event that featured a line up ofsisig sampler banquet,sisig and BBQ stalls, cooking demonstrations with celebrity chefs, and a showcase of Angeleño culinary talent through competitions.[citation needed]
Media related toSisig at Wikimedia Commons{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)[dead link]
