Bicol Express, known natively in Bikol as ''sinilihan'' (), is a popular Filipino dish which was popularized in the district of

Malate, Manila Malate is a district of Manila, Philippines. Together with the district of Ermita, it serves as Manila's center for commerce and tourism. Etymology The name ''Malate'' is believed to be derived from a corruption of the Tagalog word ''maalat'' ...

but made in traditional

Bicolano Bikol or Bicol usually refers to: *Bicol Region, the administrative region in the Philippines Bikol or Bicol may also refer to: Languages and people *Bikol languages, the languages spoken in the Bicol region in the Philippines **Albay Bikol lang ...

style. It is a

stew A stew is a combination of solid food ingredients that have been cooked in liquid and served in the resultant gravy. A stew needs to have raw ingredients added to the gravy. Ingredients in a stew can include any combination of vegetables and ...

made from long chili peppers (''

siling haba ''Siling haba'' ("long chili"), ''espada'' ("sword" in Spanish), ''siling mahaba'', ''siling pangsigang'' ("chili for ''sinigang''"), ''siling Tagalog'' ("Tagalog chili"), and sometimes called green chili, finger chili or long pepper, is one of ...

'' in Tagalog'')'' or small chili peppers (''

siling labuyo ''Siling labuyo'' is a small chili pepper cultivar that developed in the Philippines after the Columbian Exchange. It belongs to the species ''Capsicum frutescens'' and is characterized by triangular fruits which grow pointing upwards. The frui ...

'' in Tagalog),

coconut milk Coconut milk is an opaque, milky-white liquid extracted from the grated pulp of mature coconuts. The opacity and rich taste of coconut milk are due to its high oil content, most of which is saturated fat. Coconut milk is a traditional food i ...

coconut cream Coconut milk is an opaque, milky-white liquid extracted from the grated pulp of mature coconuts. The opacity and rich taste of coconut milk are due to its high oil content, most of which is saturated fat. Coconut milk is a traditional food i ...

(''kakang gata'' in Tagalog),

shrimp paste Shrimp paste or prawn sauce is a fermented condiment commonly used in Southeast Asian and Southern Chinese cuisines. It is primarily made from finely crushed shrimp or krill mixed with salt, and then fermented for several weeks. They are eithe ...

(''

bagoong alamang Shrimp paste or prawn sauce is a fermented condiment commonly used in Southeast Asian and Southern Chinese cuisines. It is primarily made from finely crushed shrimp or krill mixed with salt, and then fermented for several weeks. They are eithe ...

'' in Tagalog) or

stockfish Stockfish is unsalted fish, especially cod, dried by cold air and wind on wooden racks (which are called "hjell" in Norway) on the foreshore. The drying of food is the world's oldest known preservation method, and dried fish has a storage lif ...

onion An onion (''Allium cepa'' L., from Latin ''cepa'' meaning "onion"), also known as the bulb onion or common onion, is a vegetable that is the most widely cultivated species of the genus ''Allium''. The shallot is a botanical variety of the onion ...

pork Pork is the culinary name for the meat of the domestic pig (''Sus domesticus''). It is the most commonly consumed meat worldwide, with evidence of pig husbandry dating back to 5000 BCE. Pork is eaten both freshly cooked and preserved; ...

ginger Ginger (''Zingiber officinale'') is a flowering plant whose rhizome, ginger root or ginger, is widely used as a spice A spice is a seed, fruit, root, bark, or other plant substance primarily used for flavoring or coloring food. Spices ...

and

garlic Garlic (''Allium sativum'') is a species of bulbous flowering plant in the genus ''Allium''. Its close relatives include the onion, shallot, leek, chive, Allium fistulosum, Welsh onion and Allium chinense, Chinese onion. It is native to South A ...

. The dish was termed by

Laguna Laguna (Italian and Spanish for lagoon) may refer to: People * Abe Laguna (born 1992), American DJ known as Ookay * Andrés Laguna (1499–1559), Spanish physician, pharmacologist, and botanist * Ana Laguna (born 1955), Spanish-Swedish ballet d ...

resident, Cely Kalaw, during a cooking competition in the 1970s in

. The name of the dish was inspired by the Bicol Express railway train (

Philippine National Railways The Philippine National Railways (PNR) ( fil, Pambansang Daang-Bakal ng Pilipinas and es, Ferrocarril Nacional de Filipinas) is a state-owned railway company in the Philippines which operates one commuter rail service between Metro Manila an ...

) that operated from Tutuban, Manila to

Legazpi, Albay Legazpi, officially the City of Legazpi ( bcl, Siyudad nin Legazpi; fil, Lungsod ng Legazpi), is a 1st class component city and capital of the province of Albay, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 209,533. Legazpi ...

(regional center of the Bicol region). The widely-known name for this dish in the

Bicol Region Bicol, known formally as the Bicol Region or colloquially as Bicolandia ( bcl, Rehiyon kan Bikol; Rinconada Bikol: ''Rehiyon ka Bikol''; Waray Sorsogon, Masbateño: ''Rehiyon san Bikol''; tl, Rehiyon ng Bikol), is an administrative region of ...

of the

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

was identified as gulay 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 Seafood is any form of sea life regarded as food by humans, prominently including fish and shellfish. Shellfish include various species of molluscs (e.g. bivalve molluscs such as clams, oysters and mussels, and cephalopods such as octopus an ...

beef Beef is the culinary name for meat from cattle (''Bos taurus''). In prehistoric times, humankind hunted aurochs and later domesticated them. Since that time, numerous breeds of cattle have been bred specifically for the quality or quantity ...

pescatarian Pescetarianism (; sometimes spelled pescatarianism) is the practice of incorporating seafood into an otherwise vegetarian diet. Pescetarians may or may not consume other animal products such as eggs and dairy products. Approximately 3% of adul ...

vegetarian Vegetarianism is the practice of abstaining from the consumption of meat (red meat, poultry, seafood, insects, and the flesh of any other animal). It may also include abstaining from eating all by-products of animal slaughter. Vegetarianism m ...

vegan Veganism is the practice of abstaining from the use of animal product—particularly in diet—and an associated philosophy that rejects the commodity status of animals. An individual who follows the diet or philosophy is known as a vegan. Di ...

, 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 Proteins are large biomolecules and macromolecules that comprise one or more long chains of amino acid residues. Proteins perform a vast array of functions within organisms, including catalysing metabolic reactions, DNA replication, respo ...

but unhealthy in regards to its high levels of

saturated fat A saturated fat is a type of fat in which the fatty acid chains have all single bonds. A fat known as a glyceride is made of two kinds of smaller molecules: a short glycerol backbone and fatty acids that each contain a long linear or branched c ...

s and cholesterol. The dish has moved into

food processing Food processing is the transformation of agricultural products into food, or of one form of food into other forms. Food processing includes many forms of processing foods, from grinding grain to make raw flour to home cooking to complex industr ...

and commercial production so that it can be sold conveniently and stored for a longer period of time.

Etymology

See Bicol for full

etymology Etymology ()The New Oxford Dictionary of English (1998) – p. 633 "Etymology /ˌɛtɪˈmɒlədʒi/ the study of the class in words and the way their meanings have changed throughout time". is the study of the history of the Phonological chan ...

. The name derives originally from the spelling systems of

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Cana ...

and then integrated with the spelling systems of

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

. There were three types of

derivatives of Bicol; 'Vicor', 'Vicol', & 'Bico', because the

did not distinguish /b/ and /v/ in their pronunciation.Mintz, MW (ed.) 1971, ''BIKOL DICTIONARY,'' University of Hawai'i Press, Washington, DC.

History

Origins

The Bicol Express dish had been formally termed by

native, Cely Kalaw, as a result of her cooking competition experience in the 1970s at

.''Pinas Sarap'' 2017, television broadcast, GMA Network TV, Philippines, March 23. Presented by Kara David.Marketman 2006,
Who invented the Incendiary Bicol Express dish?
, ''Market Manila'', June 25, viewed October 24, 2020 She created this new dish in response to her customers' high interests for a spicy and sizzling

Taro Taro () (''Colocasia esculenta)'' is a root vegetable. It is the most widely cultivated species of several plants in the family Araceae that are used as vegetables for their corms, leaves, and petioles. Taro corms are a food staple in Africa ...

dish.De Leon, A 2006, 'Soul Train: The Unlikely Beginnings of a Beloved Filipino Dish', ''Chile Pepper Magazine,'' October. While trying to determine a name for the dish, Kalaw's brother heard the sound of the Philippines National Railway traveling across Kalaw's restaurant to arrive

Manila Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populate ...

. This event inspired Kalaw to name the dish 'Bicol Express' after the

PNR A passenger name record (PNR) is a record in the database of a computer reservation system (CRS) that contains the itinerary for a passenger or a group of passengers travelling together. The concept of a PNR was first introduced by airlines that n ...

train that is programmed to undergo the Manila-Legazpi route.Gilbas, S 2014, 'Food for Love: Bicolano's Culture in Merlinda Bobis' Novel', ''IAMURE Multidisciplinary Research'', vol. 6, no. 1, pp. 37–56Wine, C 1993, 'See related wine review on page H2 Pine & Bamboo lavishes care on each ingredient', ''Toronto Star'', September 4, p. 1-2 Prior to Kalaw's formal

terminology Terminology is a group of specialized words and respective meanings in a particular field, and also the study of such terms and their use; the latter meaning is also known as terminology science. A ''term'' is a word, compound word, or multi-wor ...

of the Bicol Express dish, a similar Ilocano meal to this dish was recognised as 'gulay na may lada' in the regions of Bicol,

.Fenix, M 2015,
Dining out in the Philippines–from 'comida China' to Pampango 'sisig,' Ilocano 'pakbet,' Visayan 'kinilaw'
', ''Lifestyle Inquirer,'' June 15, viewed October 9, 2020 Gulay na may lada is a

variant of the dish that consists of exactly the same

ingredient An ingredient is a substance that forms part of a mixture (in a general sense). For example, in cooking, recipes specify which ingredients are used to prepare a specific dish. Many commercial product (business), products contain secret ingredie ...

s as the Bicol Express dish, except it lacks the

meat Meat is animal flesh that is eaten as food. Humans have hunted, farmed, and scavenged animals for meat since prehistoric times. The establishment of settlements in the Neolithic Revolution allowed the domestication of animals such as chic ...

components of the meal (

chunks &

). There is a

influence in the creation of the Bicol Express as Kalaw's upbringing is situated in the regions of Bicol.Arquiza, J 2012, 'Taking the Bicol Express' ''SunStar Cebu,'' April 12, p. 27.Martin, MG 2016,
Food of the Philippines: Bicol Express
, ''Philippines Lifestyle News'', December 22, viewed October 26, 2020 This upbringing provided her with the

knowledge Knowledge can be defined as awareness of facts or as practical skills, and may also refer to familiarity with objects or situations. Knowledge of facts, also called propositional knowledge, is often defined as true belief that is distinc ...

about creating

cuisine A cuisine is a style of cooking characterized by distinctive ingredients, techniques and dishes, and usually associated with a specific culture or geographic region. Regional food preparation techniques, customs, and ingredients combine to ...

s and lead to the inspiration and construction of her Bicol Express dish in

During the 1960s, the Bicol Express dish was created and sold by

people A person (plural, : people) is a being that has certain capacities or attributes such as reason, morality, consciousness or self-consciousness, and being a part of a culturally established form of social relations such as kinship, ownership of pr ...

in the

despite a lack of name for the dish.

Bicolanos The Bicolano people or the Bikolanos ( Bikol: ''Mga Bikolnon'') are the fourth-largest Filipino ethnolinguistic group. Males are usually referred to as ''Bicolano'', and ''Bicolana'' is used for females. Their native region is commonly referred ...

would wait at the

Sipocot station Sipocot station is a railway station located on the South Main Line in Camarines Sur, Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, ...

Camarines Sur Camarines Sur ( bcl, Habagatan na Camarines; tl, Timog Camarines), officially the Province of Camarines Sur, is a province in the Philippines located in the Bicol Region on Luzon. Its capital is Pili and the province borders Camarines Norte and ...

, for a

train In rail transport, a train (from Old French , from Latin , "to pull, to draw") is a series of connected vehicles that run along a railway track and Passenger train, transport people or Rail freight transport, freight. Trains are typically pul ...

to make a temporary stop and they would start selling the dish to the

passenger A passenger (also abbreviated as pax) is a person who travels in a vehicle, but does not bear any responsibility for the tasks required for that vehicle to arrive at its destination or otherwise operate the vehicle, and is not a steward. The ...

s. The dish was stored in a

plastic bag A plastic bag, poly bag, or pouch is a type of container made of thin, flexible, plastic film, nonwoven fabric, or plastic textile. Plastic bags are used for containing and transporting goods such as foods, produce, powders, ice, magazines, c ...

and the

rice Rice is the seed of the grass species ''Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice) or less commonly ''Oryza glaberrima ''Oryza glaberrima'', commonly known as African rice, is one of the two domesticated rice species. It was first domesticated and grown i ...

was wrapped in a bundle of taro leaves.Chee Kee, RJ 2002, 'The heat of Bicol is on at the Dusit', ''BusinessWorld'', 26 September, pp. 1–2 The dish's convenient set up allowed it to be easily sold and spread across the region of Bicol. However, food selling on trains became prohibited on the

train lines and so the dish's

relevance Relevance is the concept of one topic being connected to another topic in a way that makes it useful to consider the second topic when considering the first. The concept of relevance is studied in many different fields, including cognitive sci ...

diminished over time until Kalaw was able to reintroduce and popularise the dish in her

restaurant A restaurant is a business that prepares and serves food and drinks to customers. Meals are generally served and eaten on the premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services. Restaurants vary greatly in appearan ...

Culture and environment

The ingredients of

coconut The coconut tree (''Cocos nucifera'') is a member of the palm tree family ( Arecaceae) and the only living species of the genus ''Cocos''. The term "coconut" (or the archaic "cocoanut") can refer to the whole coconut palm, the seed, or the ...

and

chili pepper Chili peppers (also chile, chile pepper, chilli pepper, or chilli), from Nahuatl '' chīlli'' (), are varieties of the berry-fruit of plants from the genus ''Capsicum'', which are members of the nightshade family Solanaceae, cultivated for ...

s are predominant in dishes originating from the Bicol community.Dalton, D, Keeling, S, Foster, S & Oates, J 2011, ''The Rough Guide to The Philippines,'' 3rd edn, APA Publications, London, UK.Poblete, J 2008, 'Chilicious', ''BusinessWorld,'' May 8, pp. 1–3. Both of these

s are

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

across the provinces of Bicol. There are over 50 million

bearing trees in Bicol.Philippine Coconut Authority 2011, ''A Briefing Guide on the Subject: Coconut Industry Production Status, Growing Zones, Productivity and Potential to Increase Nut Supply in Coconut Farms through Practical and Efficient Farming Technologies (PEFT),'' Republic of the Philippines Department of Agriculture, Diliman, Quezon City. This makes the

the most prosperous region in the

to contain this enormous amount of

bearing trees.Lantrip, B 2017,
The Chinese Cultural Influence of Filipino Cuisine
, Masters thesis, The University of San Francisco, viewed September 3, 2020 The region also meets the criteria for highly suitable wet conditions for

growing zones. ''Siling Labuyo'' (small chili pepper) is commonly used in many Bicolano cuisines.Specialty Produce 2016,
Siling Labuyo Chile Peppers
', Specialty Produce, viewed October 27, 2020 Under the

Scoville scale The Scoville scale is a measurement of the pungency (spiciness or "heat") of chili peppers, as recorded in Scoville heat units (SHU), based on the concentration of capsaicinoids, among which capsaicin is the predominant component. The scale i ...

, the

Scoville Heat Unit The Scoville scale is a measurement of the pungency (spiciness or "heat") of chili peppers, as recorded in Scoville heat units (SHU), based on the concentration of Capsaicin#Capsaicinoids, capsaicinoids, among which capsaicin is the predominan ...

of the ''

'' is 100,000 SHU and ''

'' is 50,000 SHU but each of these

s can vary depending on the conditions of their growing environments.Rosato, J 2020
'2020 SCOVILLE SCALE: ULTIMATE LIST OF PEPPER'S & THEIR SCOVILLE HEAT UNITS
, January, viewed October 10, 2020, The ''

'' in Bicol is much spicier than the ''

'' in

, which makes it one of the spiciest

s in the Philippines.General, HC 1994, ''The Coconut Cookery of Bicol'', Bookmark, Makati, Manila The ''Siling Labuyo'' peppers were introduced by Spanish settlers during their exploration of the New World.Fernandez, DG 1986, 'Food and the Filipino', in VG Enriquez (ed.), ''Philippines World-View'', Institute of Southeast Asian Studeies, Pasir Panjang, Singapore, pp. 20–44

Preparation

08602jfMalolos City Town Center Foods Fruitsfvf 23

The

s for the main preparation of making the original Bicol Express dish are oil,

chunks, coconut cream/milk, ''

'' ( long chili peppers), ''

'' (

) and a side of

. The first step to creating this dish is to pour oil into the pan at a medium level of heat. All of the

and

needs to be diced up into sizes of 1-cm cubes. The use of garlic and onion in

Filipino cuisine Filipino cuisine ( fil, lutong Pilipino/pagkaing Pilipino) is composed of the cuisines of more than a hundred distinct ethnolinguistic groups found throughout the Philippine archipelago. A majority of mainstream Filipino dishes that compose Fi ...

have been influenced by the

Spaniards Spaniards, or Spanish people, are a Romance peoples, Romance ethnic group native to Spain. Within Spain, there are a number of National and regional identity in Spain, national and regional ethnic identities that reflect the country's complex Hist ...

who sautéed these

s to enrich the flavors of their meals. These three ingredients are then placed into the pan and cooked for three minutes. Next, the

chunks are added into the pan and cooked until it darkens to brown. The

is the main

that establishes the basis of the Bicol Express dish and differentiates it from other variations. After the pork has turned brown, the coconut cream/milk is poured into the pan and

simmered Simmering is a food preparation technique by which foods are cooked in hot liquids kept just below the boiling point of water (lower than ) and above poaching temperature (higher than ). To create a steady simmer, a liquid is brought to a boil ...

for a couple minutes under low levels of heat. Next, after 30 minutes of saturating the ''

'' under salted water, drain the

water Water (chemical formula ) is an inorganic, transparent, tasteless, odorless, and nearly colorless chemical substance, which is the main constituent of Earth's hydrosphere and the fluids of all known living organisms (in which it acts as a ...

and cut up the ''

'' into 1-inch slices and add into the pan. ''

Siling haba ''Siling haba'' ("long chili"), ''espada'' ("sword" in Spanish), ''siling mahaba'', ''siling pangsigang'' ("chili for ''sinigang''"), ''siling Tagalog'' ("Tagalog chili"), and sometimes called green chili, finger chili or long pepper, is one of ...

'' is used instead of ''

'' as the SHU levels of the ''

'' is only 50,000 SHU, which will allow the

spiciness Pungency () refers to the taste of food commonly referred to as spiciness, hotness or heat, found in foods such as chili peppers. Highly pungent tastes may be experienced as unpleasant. The term piquancy () is sometimes applied to foods with a l ...

to be more manageable for the customers. However, ''

'' is still used in creating the Bicol Express within the

Bicol Peninsula Bicol, known formally as the Bicol Region or colloquially as Bicolandia ( bcl, Rehiyon kan Bikol; Rinconada Bikol: ''Rehiyon ka Bikol''; Waray Sorsogon, Masbateño: ''Rehiyon san Bikol''; tl, Rehiyon ng Bikol), is an administrative region of ...

as the

natives Indigenous peoples are culturally distinct ethnic groups whose members are directly descended from the earliest known inhabitants of a particular geographic region and, to some extent, maintain the language and culture of those original people ...

are more accustomed to the

. The last

added into the pan is the ''

'' (

). Bicolano residents retrieve ''alamang'' (

shrimp Shrimp are crustaceans (a form of shellfish) with elongated bodies and a primarily swimming mode of locomotion – most commonly Caridea and Dendrobranchiata of the decapod order, although some crustaceans outside of this order are refer ...

) naturally through

cast net A casting net, also called a throw net, is a net used for fishing. It is a circular net with small weights distributed around its edge. The net is cast or thrown by hand in such a manner that it spreads out while it's in the air before it sinks ...

ting and then

ferment Fermentation is a metabolism, metabolic process that produces chemical changes in organic Substrate (chemistry), substrates through the action of enzymes. In biochemistry, it is narrowly defined as the extraction of energy from carbohydrates in ...

the

to create ''

''. Despite the traditional use of ''

bagoong ''Bagoóng'' (; ) is a Philippine condiment partially or completely made of either fermented fish (''bagoóng'') or krill or shrimp paste (''alamáng'') with salt. The fermentation process also produces fish sauce known as ''patís''. The pre ...

'' for

seasoning Seasoning is the process of supplementing food via herbs, spices, salts, and/or sugar, intended to enhance a particular flavour. General meaning Seasonings include herbs and spices, which are themselves frequently referred to as "seasonings". Ho ...

purposes in other

s, freshly

fermented Fermentation is a metabolic process that produces chemical changes in organic substrates through the action of enzymes. In biochemistry, it is narrowly defined as the extraction of energy from carbohydrates in the absence of oxygen. In food ...

'' enhances the flavors of the Bicol Express by being the "base of the sauce for the dish". The Bicol Express dish is served hot with a bowl of

on the side.

Rice Rice is the seed of the grass species ''Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice) or less commonly ''Oryza glaberrima ''Oryza glaberrima'', commonly known as African rice, is one of the two domesticated rice species. It was first domesticated and grown i ...

is fundamental in the

diet Diet may refer to: Food * Diet (nutrition), the sum of the food consumed by an organism or group * Dieting, the deliberate selection of food to control body weight or nutrient intake ** Diet food, foods that aid in creating a diet for weight loss ...

s and the Bicol Express dish would be incomplete without this important

Variations

Seafood

There are numerous

variations of the Bicol Express dish. The

of the dish can be replaced with

fish Fish are aquatic, craniate, gill-bearing animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish as well as various extinct related groups. Approximately 95% of li ...

(

tilapia Tilapia ( ) is the common name for nearly a hundred species of cichlid fish from the coelotilapine, coptodonine, heterotilapine, oreochromine, pelmatolapiine, and tilapiine tribes (formerly all were "Tilapiini"), with the economically most ...

crab Crabs are decapod crustaceans of the infraorder Brachyura, which typically have a very short projecting "tail" (abdomen) ( el, βραχύς , translit=brachys = short, / = tail), usually hidden entirely under the thorax. They live in all the ...

manta ray Manta rays are large rays belonging to the genus ''Mobula'' (formerly its own genus ''Manta''). The larger species, '' M. birostris'', reaches in width, while the smaller, '' M. alfredi'', reaches . Both have triangular Pectoral fin#AnchPect ...

shark Sharks are a group of elasmobranch fish characterized by a cartilaginous skeleton, five to seven gill slits on the sides of the head, and pectoral fins that are not fused to the head. Modern sharks are classified within the clade Selachimo ...

, etc, to alter the taste and texture of the dish. All of these dishes continue to be served with a hot bowl of

. ''Ginataang Tilapia'' or ''Ginataang Isda'' is one of these variations. The

is boiled under the ''katang gata'' (

)Narciso, MH 2005, 'Filipino Meal patterns in the United States of America', Masters thesis, The University of Wisconsin Stout, viewed November 5, 2020 and

vinegar Vinegar is an aqueous solution of acetic acid and trace compounds that may include flavorings. Vinegar typically contains 5–8% acetic acid by volume. Usually, the acetic acid is produced by a double fermentation, converting simple sugars to et ...

, and mixed with ''

,''

and

. The dish differentiates from the Bicol Express

Tilapia Tilapia ( ) is the common name for nearly a hundred species of cichlid fish from the coelotilapine, coptodonine, heterotilapine, oreochromine, pelmatolapiine, and tilapiine tribes (formerly all were "Tilapiini"), with the economically most ...

as there is

added into the ''Ginataang'' to provide it a more sour flavour.Plondaya, R 1998, 'Cooking Tips for Tilapia', ''SEAFDEC Asian Aquaculture'', vol. 20, no. 2, pp. 24–25. A more unique example is the ''Kinunot na Pating'', or ''Kinunot'' for short. This dish is similar to the Bicol Express meal except that the

chunks are replaced with pieces of shark bitsFernandez, DG 1994, 'Culture Ingested On the Indigenisation of Philippine Food', ''The Journal of Food and Culture'', vol. 3, no. 1, pp. 58–71 or manta ray meat.Raymond 2016,
Kinunot
', Ang Sarap, viewed October 27, 2020 This changes the texture of the meal and gives the person eating the dish a more exotic experience. ''

Inulukan ''Laing'' ( ), is a Filipino dish of shredded or whole taro leaves with meat or seafood cooked in thick coconut milk spiced with labuyo chili, lemongrass, garlic, shallots, ginger, and shrimp paste. It originates from the Bicol Region, whe ...

'' is another variant of the Bicol Express dish (See ''Inulukan'' for more) that uses river crabs as the

basis of the

delicacy A delicacy is usually a rare and expensive food item that is considered highly desirable, sophisticated, or peculiarly distinctive within a given culture. Irrespective of local preferences, such a label is typically pervasive throughout a r ...

instead of

chunks.Magcamit, Y 2020,
5 iconic Bicolano dishes you gata try while chili-n' at home
, ''Nolisoli,'' September 17, viewed November 14, 2020 All of the

s are then stored into a taro leave bundle and then

under the ''kakanggata'' (

).Bordado, EB 2017, ''UMAsenso: HML: Preserving and Promoting Bicol's best, authentic and traditional delicacies,'' vol. 26, no. 2, Department of Agriculture, Republic of the Philippines.

Beef

Beef Beef is the culinary name for meat from cattle (''Bos taurus''). In prehistoric times, humankind hunted aurochs and later domesticated them. Since that time, numerous breeds of cattle have been bred specifically for the quality or quantity ...

is another meat 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

is not as tender as the

chunks, though it can be prepared and cooked faster in the pan than the

.Panlasang Pinoy 2014,
Beef Bicol Express
', Panlasang Pinoy, viewed October 27, 2020 Pinakbet3

Pescatarian

Pinakbet Pinakbet (also called pakbet or pinak bet) is an indigenous Filipino dish from the northern regions of the Philippines. Pinakbet is made from mixed vegetables sautéed in fish or shrimp sauce. The word is the contracted from the Ilokano wo ...

'' is a

alternative for the Bicol Express dish. This dish originates from the Ilocano community and they use

Vegetable Vegetables are parts of plants that are consumed by humans or other animals as food. The original meaning is still commonly used and is applied to plants collectively to refer to all edible plant matter, including the flowers, fruits, stems, ...

s to replace the

chunk component of the meal. These

s are

bok choy Bok choy (American English, Canadian English, and Australian English), pak choi (British English) or pok choi (''Brassica rapa'' subsp. ''chinensis'') is a type of Chinese cabbage, used as food. ''Chinensis'' varieties do not form heads and have g ...

(''

pechay Bok choy (American English, Canadian English, and Australian English), pak choi (British English) or pok choi (''Brassica rapa'' subsp. ''chinensis'') is a type of Chinese cabbage, used as food. ''Chinensis'' varieties do not form heads and have g ...

'' in Tagalog) and the

shoot In botany, a plant shoot consists of any plant stem together with its appendages, leaves and lateral buds, flowering stems, and flower buds. The new growth from seed germination that grows upward is a shoot where leaves will develop. In the spri ...

s of

sweet potato The sweet potato or sweetpotato (''Ipomoea batatas'') is a dicotyledonous plant that belongs to the Convolvulus, bindweed or morning glory family (biology), family, Convolvulaceae. Its large, starchy, sweet-tasting tuberous roots are used as a r ...

es ( ''camote tops'' in Filipino lingo).Abello, MM 2009, 'Food processor exports canned pinakbet popular Ilocano dish made from mixed vegetable eggplant, tomatoes, ampalaya, sitaw, okra and squash sauteed with pork and shrimp fry paste taps smallhold farmers for veggie supply hilippines, ''Agriculture (Philippines)'', vol. 13, no. 7, pp. 18–19 The

component of this dish is the incorporation of ''alamang'' (

) into the

sauce In cooking, a sauce is a liquid, cream, or semi-solid food, served on or used in preparing other foods. Most sauces are not normally consumed by themselves; they add flavor, moisture, and visual appeal to a dish. ''Sauce'' is a French word t ...

to elevate the flavors of the meal.

Vegetarian

Gulay na may lada is the oldest known

variant of the Bicol Express dish that is created using the traditional-ways of cooking within the

Vegan

The Bicol Express dish have been transformed into a

form using various

replacements. The

is substituted with

tofu Tofu (), also known as bean curd in English, is a food prepared by coagulating soy milk and then pressing the resulting curds into solid white blocks of varying softness; it can be ''silken'', ''soft'', ''firm'', ''extra firm'' or ''super firm ...

and

shiitake mushrooms The shiitake (alternate form shitake) (; ''Lentinula edodes'') is an edible mushroom native to East Asia, which is now cultivated and consumed around the globe. It is considered a medicinal mushroom in some forms of traditional medicine. T ...

are added to restore the texture of the dish.The Earth Kitchen 2020,
VEGAN BICOL EXPRESS (FILIPINO SPICY COCONUT STEW)
', The Earth Kitchen, viewed October 26, 2020 Vegetable paste and

gluten free A gluten-free diet (GFD) is a nutritional plan that strictly excludes gluten, which is a mixture of proteins found in wheat (and all of its species and hybrids, such as spelt, kamut, and triticale), as well as barley, rye, and oats. The inclu ...

soy sauce Soy sauce (also called simply soy in American English and soya sauce in British English) is a liquid condiment of Chinese origin, traditionally made from a fermented paste of soybeans, roasted grain, brine, and '' Aspergillus oryzae'' or ''Asp ...

are used to replace the ''

'' that bases the rich flavors of the dish's

broth Broth, also known as bouillon (), is a savory liquid made of water in which meat, fish or vegetables have been simmered for a short period of time. It can be eaten alone, but it is most commonly used to prepare other dishes, such as soups, ...

Others

Another type of Bicol Express variants is one of Bicol's other signature dishes, '' Pinangat'' (or '' Laing'') which is exactly the same as the Bicol Express's original recipe, except it does not contain

s. All the

s of the '' Pinangat'' dish is then wrapped with

taro Taro () (''Colocasia esculenta)'' is a root vegetable. It is the most widely cultivated species of several plants in the family Araceae that are used as vegetables for their corms, leaves, and petioles. Taro corms are a food staple in Africa ...

leaves and cooked under ''katang gata'' (

Nutrition

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 of

s and

cholesterol Cholesterol is any of a class of certain organic molecules called lipids. It is a sterol (or modified steroid), a type of lipid. Cholesterol is biosynthesized by all animal cells and is an essential structural component of animal cell mem ...

that makes it an incompatible

for weight loss.Nutrition Rank 2012,
Bicol Express Recipe 1
', Nutrition Rank, viewed September 26, 2020 The ''

'' used in the Bicol Express provides the dish with its rich levels of

vitamin C Vitamin C (also known as ascorbic acid and ascorbate) is a water-soluble vitamin found in citrus and other fruits and vegetables, also sold as a dietary supplement and as a topical 'serum' ingredient to treat melasma (dark pigment spots) an ...

iron Iron () is a chemical element with symbol Fe (from la, ferrum) and atomic number 26. It is a metal that belongs to the first transition series and group 8 of the periodic table. It is, by mass, the most common element on Earth, right in f ...

and

magnesium Magnesium is a chemical element with the symbol Mg and atomic number 12. It is a shiny gray metal having a low density, low melting point and high chemical reactivity. Like the other alkaline earth metals (group 2 of the periodic ta ...

. In Filipino practices, ''

'' have been utilized as a form of traditional home remedy for treating

tooth pain Toothache, also known as dental pain,Segen JC. (2002). ''McGraw-Hill Concise Dictionary of Modern Medicine''. The McGraw-Hill Companies. is pain in the teeth or their supporting structures, caused by dental diseases or pain referred to the t ...

s.Medical Health Guide 2016,
Siling labuyo (Capsicum Frutescens) Herbal Medicine
, ''Medical Health Guide'', October 21, viewed October 26, 2020 The Bicol Express dish is also a rich source for

and it will have plenty of health benefits for the body.Einstein, P 2018,
Bicol Express – 1 Cup
', Nutrionix, viewed October 27, 2020 The dish estimates around having 308

calorie The calorie is a unit of energy. For historical reasons, two main definitions of "calorie" are in wide use. The large calorie, food calorie, or kilogram calorie was originally defined as the amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of on ...

s per 246

gram The gram (originally gramme; SI unit symbol g) is a Physical unit, unit of mass in the International System of Units (SI) equal to one one thousandth of a kilogram. Originally defined as of 1795 as "the absolute weight of a volume of pure wate ...

s of serving, which approximately fifty

percent In mathematics, a percentage (from la, per centum, "by a hundred") is a number or ratio expressed as a fraction of 100. It is often denoted using the percent sign, "%", although the abbreviations "pct.", "pct" and sometimes "pc" are also use ...

of the

s come from the fats.MyFitnessPal 2020,
Filipino Food – Bicol Express
', MyFitness Pal, viewed November 20, 2020

Processing and production

Unlike the historical versions of selling Bicol Express in

s and

in taro leaves, advanced technologies have allowed the dish to be stocked in a more convenient set-up. In 2012, the

of Bicol Express into

glass Glass is a non-crystalline, often transparent, amorphous solid that has widespread practical, technological, and decorative use in, for example, window panes, tableware, and optics. Glass is most often formed by rapid cooling (quenching) of ...

jars was considered by the ''Llaguno'' family. The Philippines' 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.

References

{{Filipino food Philippine cuisine Stews