The Adobonation

We Filipinos are known for a lot of things; mind you, because these things are distinctly Filipino (in many aspects) and distinct only in Filipinos. From the simple day to day conversation we have and the languages we speak, to the clothes we wear and the accessories we pair it with, to the house ornaments we choose, to the manner we manage it—all of these are aspects of life and culture that, we, Filipinos are particularly distinct at.

       But I know of another aspect whereas Filipinos are very well known for. Food. Our culture says that our national food is the “lechon” but this dish suggests extravagance, meaning not all Filipinos get to experience its taste; and it is only seen on a Filipino family’s table during special occasions.

The wide array of Filipino food (image from:joandreidesign)

          Why don’t we take a good look in to this Filipino dish which I know all of us are familiar with: The Adobo. 

Traditional Adobo (image from: www.latestrecipes.net)

        Adobo is a meat dish stewed (sometimes marinated) in vinegar, soy sauce, and seasoned with garlic and pepper (sometimes added with bay leaf for extra aroma). However, this dish is brought to us by the Spaniards, who conquered our country the longest among any other nation. But as time went by, adobo had been very Filipinized; and it became a true equal of the Filipino race. When you hear the word adobo, it is always associated with the Filipinos—and when you hear Filipinos, it is always associated with adobo.  A lot of versions, modifications, and personalization have also been done to it. In fact, adobo even has lots of varieties regionally: different versions that represent every ethnicity and different adobos that represent different but very Filipino tastes.

          According to Travel Time, an ANC (ABS-CBN News Channel) lifestyle and travel program, there are as many versions of adobo as you can imagine of the different islands of the Philippines. Another discovery that was revealed was that soy sauce is just an, and one of the, optional ingredients of adobo. Surprising isn’t it, because it is the vinegar that defines a dish as adobo. The Spanish language would define it to be “marinated meat”.          

Adobong Puti (image from: pinoycravings.com)

          In the Kapangpangan region, they have the “adobong puti”. This variety of adobo is cooked in the absence of soy sauce. The meat (which could be pork or chicken) is simmered in vinegar, garlic, salt, and pepper corns; then, they fry the meat to golden brown to let it lard in itself. The golden brownish color makes this adobo palatable as it brightens the pale simmered-to-dry meat. 

Adobong Batangas (image from: flickr.com)

“Adobong Batangas”, meanwhile, is the most similar version to what we traditionally have in our households. Soy sauce, vinegar, pepper, and bay leaf are used to marinate this delicious and fatty cuts of meat (as it being a requirement) before it is fried with “siling labuyo”—this is where the regional distinction comes in. How do you find those two?  Did it make you want to stop reading and just start eating?

          If the past examples already made us moisten our lips just by their descriptions, the next ones will surely make us want to try everything A.S.A.P. The usual dark adobo is delicious, but the moment you get introduced to this next variety, I’m sure you’ll be just as apetized. 

Adobong Pusit sa Gata (image from: www.kawalingpinoy.com)

          The Bicolanos have their adobo white because of fresh and pure coconut milk (which is what they have in abundance). Sea foods, shrimp for instance, is sauteed in onion, garlic, pepper, with a bit of salt and a sprinkle of vinegar before the coco milk is added to make it specially and distinctly Bicolano. Of course the Visayas region will not be left behind without having created its version of the fabulous adobo. 

Pork Humba (image from: www.delmonte.ph)

          This is the sweet type called: Humba. This variety of adobo is almost the same with the Batangas’s, just that they added sugar or honey to make it sweet. To even make special, chunks of pineapple is optionally added. This sweet adobo variety is also enjoyed in some parts of Mindanao; just that the Mindanaoeños are fond of using the leg parts instead of “kasim”, which is fondly used in Visayas.

         Apparently, our love for adobo didn't just stop with the famous dish’s different regional variety; surprisingly, the creative minds of some gourmet chefs came up with their personalized version. Like there is one dish named “Baked Adobo Rolled in Pinipig”. This specialty dish is made by marinating chicken breasts the adobo way, then rolling it over beaten egg and pinipig (flattened rice crisps), and lastly baking it in the oven. The final product is heavenly as it spreads its aroma upon taking it out of the oven and unwrapping it from the aluminium foil. 

Adobong Kangkong (image from www.gopixpic.com)  

       Adobo is also able to capture the taste buds of our heart-friendly brothers and friends. That’s why there was the innovation of Adobong Kangkong (swamp cabbage) and Adobong Pusit which I personally love because of its health-giving factor.

      So, those are just some of the so many varieties of adobo, there are still too many that this whole afternoon won’t be enough for us to talk about all of it. If we are going to look at adobo—this dish which is actually from our former conquerors—with a nationalistic perspective, it has been and will always remain a representation of the true Filipino in each and every one of us. On one hand, the numerous varieties it has represent the different ethnicities in the Philippines; and on the other, the race that bonds us all, being no other than Filipinos. This is another proof that the Philippine culture is rich in itself because it has the capacity to adopt different cultures and as well as to adapt itself towards different cultures.