Tasty Southeast Asian Barbecue Specials for the Summer
Bring the tasty tropical flavours of Southeast Asian barbecue specials to your summer grill!
Sour, tangy flavours are common in Southeast Asian cuisines to give an appetising kick, refreshing aroma, or to brighten the overall taste of a dish, as well as to balance with bold and complex flavour blends.
For Filipino cuisine, sourness is a crucial feature and can range from rich to mellow, combined with other essential flavours to achieve the bold, mouth-watering tastes of Filipino dishes. Various types of unique vinegars are used in Filipino cooking. Let’s learn more about them!
Unique Filipino Vinegars
Vinegars are foundational to the development and evolution of Filipino cuisine, shaping food preservation methods and culinary techniques since the ancient ages. Over time, a variety of vinegars made from local tropical ingredients became integral to Filipino cooking, used in dipping sauces, seasoning blends, marinades, and more. Their signature tart and tangy notes harmonised with savoury, sweet, and spicy flavours that define the Filipino taste profile.
In some traditional recipes, vinegars are also paired with other staple sour ingredients like calamansi juice, tamarind, lemongrass and tomatoes, to create layers of appetising tangy zest.
Cane, coconut and palm vinegars are among the traditional Filipino specialties. Each type has its own flavour profile and culinary uses.
Cane Vinegar
Made from fermented sugarcane juice, cane vinegar is the most commonly used type in Filipino cuisine. It has a smooth tangy-sweet flavour that blends well with other seasoning ingredients. Versatile to uplift gravy-rich dishes, braised stews, dipping sauces and pickles.
Coconut Vinegar
There are 2 types of Filipino coconut vinegars. One is the traditional Sukang Tuba, made from the coconut sap, extracted from the tree’s flower stalk, and fermented to develop a fragrant tangy flavour. The other is coconut water vinegar, made from fermented coconut juice for a gentle sour zest and fruity, nutty aroma. Both types are typically used to uplift seafood dishes, brighten salad dressings and enrich dipping sauces
Palm Vinegar
Similar to coconut vinegar, Filipino cooking uses 2 types of palm vinegars as well. Nipa vinegar is made from the sap of nipa palm trees native to the Filipino mangroves. The flavour of nipa vinegar relies on its fermentation age. The longer the period, the sharper its sour kick, while shorter fermented nipa vinegar will have a subtle sweet, savoury touch.
On the other hand, Kaong palm vinegar is made from the fermented sap of the Kaong sugar palm tree, native to Filipino’s tropical forests. It has a milder tart flavour with a sweet note.
Both are used to pickle fruits, flavour traditional stews, and marinades for barbecues.
Traditional Filipino Delights with Vinegar
Want to taste the magic of vinegar in Filipino cuisine? Here are 3 hearty, protein-rich traditional yummies for you to try:
Chicken Adobo with Pineapple
Adobo is a Filipino-style braised stew with a savoury, tangy flavour depth and tender, saucy taste. Our Chicken Adobo is enriched with a marinade blend of vinegar, light soy sauce, and pineapple syrup. Aromatised with garlic, onion, bay leaves and black peppercorns. Gently pan-seared for a charred aroma, then simmered till the sauce blend thickens and paired with juicy pineapple chunks. Scrumptious and comforting to savour!
Pork Bingoongan
Enriched with bold, umami fermented shrimp paste, and a sauce blend of garlic, vinegar, light soy sauce, green chillies and cherry tomatoes, the Filipino Bingoongan serves up a succulent pork ribs bonanza with a tantalising savoury richness smoothened with tart and tangy flavours. Served with a refreshing salad side dressed with vinegar zing, and fragrant steamed jasmine rice for a satiating meal. Cook it up with our easy recipe!
Abodong Sitaw with Pork
A wholesome meal dish to enjoy with rice, the Abodong Sitaw features tender pan-seared pork belly slices infused with onion and garlic aroma. Simmered with vinegar and soy sauce to develop a tangy, savoury oomph, and paired with soft, crunchy long beans. Simple to cook and great to share with your loved ones!
More Filipino Cuisine Insights
Filipino cuisine is mesmerising to explore, with delicious, complex and diverse flavours that are sure to surprise your tastebuds. Come learn more about the essential sauces and seasonings to cook up Filipino delights at home, and discover more Filipino specials you should try!
