''Sinigang'', sometimes anglicized as sour broth, is a Filipino soup or stew characterized by its sour and savory taste. It is most often associated with

tamarind Tamarind (''Tamarindus indica'') is a Legume, leguminous tree bearing edible fruit that is indigenous to tropical Africa and naturalized in Asia. The genus ''Tamarindus'' is monotypic taxon, monotypic, meaning that it contains only this spe ...

( 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 in

Filipino cuisine Filipino cuisine is composed of the cuisines of more than a hundred distinct Ethnic groups in the Philippines, ethnolinguistic groups found throughout the Philippines, Philippine archipelago. A majority of mainstream Filipino dishes that comp ...

. This soup, like most Filipino dishes, is usually accompanied by rice.

Origin

''Sinigáng'' means "stewed

ish Ish or ISH may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''...ish'' (album), a 1989 album by the band 1927 * ''...ish'' (audio drama), a ''Doctor Who'' audio drama *''Ish'', a book by Peter H. Reynolds Businesses and organisations * International Sc ...

; it is nominalized in the form of the

Tagalog Tagalog may refer to: Language * Tagalog language, a language spoken in the Philippines ** Old Tagalog, an archaic form of the language ** Batangas Tagalog, a dialect of the language * Tagalog script, the writing system historically used for Tagal ...

verb A verb is a word that generally conveys an action (''bring'', ''read'', ''walk'', ''run'', ''learn''), an occurrence (''happen'', ''become''), or a state of being (''be'', ''exist'', ''stand''). In the usual description of English, the basic f ...

''sigáng'', "to stew". While present nationwide, ''sinigáng'' is seen to be culturally

in origin, thus the similar sour stews and soups found in the

Visayas The Visayas ( ), or the Visayan Islands (Bisayan languages, Visayan: ''Kabisay-an'', ; Filipino language, Filipino: ''Kabisayaan'' ), are one of the three Island groups of the Philippines, principal geographical divisions of the Philippines, a ...

and

Mindanao Mindanao ( ) is the List of islands of the Philippines, second-largest island in the Philippines, after Luzon, and List of islands by population, seventh-most populous island in the world. Located in the southern region of the archipelago, the ...

(like ''

linarang ''Linarang'', also known as ''larang'' or ''nilarang'', is a Filipino fish stew originating from the Central Visayas islands. It is made with fish in a spicy and sour coconut milk-based broth with garlic, red onions, tomatoes, fermented black ...

'') and in Pampanga (''bulanglang''). These are regarded as different dishes and differ in the ingredients used.

Fish sauce Fish sauce is a liquid condiment made from fish or krill that have been coated in salt and fermented for up to two years. It is used as a staple seasoning in East Asian cuisine and Southeast Asian cuisine, particularly Myanmar, Cambodia, L ...

is a common condiment for this stew.

Ingredients

Sinigang is most often associated with

in modern times, but it originally referred to any meat or seafood cooked in a sour and acidic broth, similar to but differentiated from ''

paksiw ''Paksiw'' () is a Filipino style of cooking, whose name means "to cook and simmer in vinegar". Common dishes bearing the term, however, can vary substantially depending on what is being cooked. '' Pinangat na isda'' may sometimes also be r ...

'' (which uses

vinegar Vinegar () is an aqueous solution of diluted acetic acid and trace compounds that may include flavorings. Vinegar typically contains from 5% to 18% acetic acid by volume. Usually, the acetic acid is produced by a double fermentation, converting ...

). Other variations of the dish derive their sourness from native ingredients. These souring agents include unripe

mango A mango is an edible stone fruit produced by the tropical tree '' Mangifera indica''. It originated from the region between northwestern Myanmar, Bangladesh, and northeastern India. ''M. indica'' has been cultivated in South and Southeast As ...

es, rice vinegar, butterfly tree leaves (''alibangbang''), citruses (including the native

calamansi Calamansi (''Citrus'' × ''microcarpa''), also known as calamondin, Philippine lime, or Philippine lemon, is a citrus hybrid cultivated predominantly in the Philippines. It is native to the Philippines, parts of Indonesia (Borneo, Sumatra, and ...

and ''

biasong The micrantha is a wild citrus from the papeda group, native to southern Philippines, particularly islands of Cebu and Bohol. Two varieties are recognized: small-flowered papeda (''C. hystrix'' var. ''micrantha''), locally known as ''biason ...

''), santol,

bilimbi ''Averrhoa bilimbi'' (commonly known as bilimbi, cucumber tree, or tree sorrel) is a fruit-bearing tree of the genus ''Averrhoa'', family (biology), family Oxalidaceae. It is believed to be originally native to the Maluku Islands of Indonesia but ...

(''kamias'' or ''iba''), gooseberry tree fruits (''karmay''), binukaw fruits (also ''batuan''), and ''libas'' fruits, among others.

Guava Guava ( ), also known as the 'guava-pear', is a common tropical fruit cultivated in many tropical and subtropical regions. The common guava '' Psidium guajava'' (lemon guava, apple guava) is a small tree in the myrtle family (Myrtaceae), nativ ...

, introduced to the Philippines via the

Manila galleon The Manila galleon (; ) refers to the Spain, Spanish trading Sailing ship, ships that linked the Philippines in the Spanish East Indies to Mexico (New Spain), across the Pacific Ocean. The ships made one or two round-trip voyages per year betwe ...

s, is also used. Seasoning powder or

bouillon cube A bouillon cube (also known as a stock cube) is dehydrated broth or stock formed into a small cube or other cuboid shape. The most common format is a cube about wide. It is typically made from dehydrated vegetables or meat stock, a small port ...

s with a tamarind base are commercial alternatives to using natural fruits. Sinigang typically uses meat or seafood (e.g., fish, pork, beef, shrimp, or chicken) stewed with

tomato The tomato (, ), ''Solanum lycopersicum'', is a plant whose fruit is an edible Berry (botany), berry that is eaten as a vegetable. The tomato is a member of the nightshade family that includes tobacco, potato, and chili peppers. It originate ...

es,

garlic Garlic (''Allium sativum'') is a species of bulbous flowering plants in the genus '' Allium''. Its close relatives include the onion, shallot, leek, chives, Welsh onion, and Chinese onion. Garlic is native to central and south Asia, str ...

, and

onion An onion (''Allium cepa'' , from Latin ), 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 which was classifie ...

s. Other vegetables commonly used in the making of sinigang include

okra Okra (, ), ''Abelmoschus esculentus'', known in some English-speaking countries as lady's fingers, is a flowering plant in the Malvaceae, mallow family native to East Africa. Cultivated in tropical, subtropical, and warm temperate regions aro ...

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, stems and Petiole (botany), petioles. Taro corms are a ...

corm Corm, bulbo-tuber, or bulbotuber is a short, vertical, swollen, underground plant stem that serves as a storage organ that some plants use to survive winter or other adverse conditions such as summer drought and heat (perennation). The word ''c ...

s (''gabi'', which serves as a starchy broth thickener), white

radish The radish (''Raphanus sativus'') is a flowering plant in the mustard family, Brassicaceae. Its large taproot is commonly used as a root vegetable, although the entire plant is edible and its leaves are sometimes used as a leaf vegetable. Origina ...

(''labanós''),

water spinach ''Ipomoea aquatica'', commonly known as water spinach or kangkung, is a semi- aquatic, tropical plant grown as a vegetable for its tender shoots. ''I. aquatica'' is generally believed to have been first domesticated in Southeast Asia. It is wi ...

(''kangkóng''),

yardlong beans The asparagus bean (''Vigna unguiculata'' subsp. ''sesquipedalis'') is a legume cultivated for its edible green pods containing immature seeds, like the green bean. It is also known as yardlong bean, pea bean, long-podded cowpea, Chinese long ...

(''sitaw'') and

eggplant Eggplant (American English, US, Canadian English, CA, Australian English, AU, Philippine English, PH), aubergine (British English, UK, Hiberno English, IE, New Zealand English, NZ), brinjal (Indian English, IN, Singapore English, SG, Malays ...

(''talóng''). Most Filipinos like to cook sinigang with long green peppers (''siling haba'') to enhance the taste and add a little spice to the dish. Another variation includes adding locally made

miso is a traditional Japanese seasoning. It is a thick paste produced by fermenting soybeans with salt and kōji (the fungus ''Aspergillus oryzae''), and sometimes rice, barley, seaweed, or other ingredients. It is used for sauces and spreads; p ...

Sinigang variations

*''Sinigáng na baboy'' - Pork Sinigang *''Sinigáng sa misô'' - Sinigang with

added to the soup as the

umami Umami ( from ), or savoriness, is one of the five basic tastes. It is characteristic of broths and cooked meats. People taste umami through taste receptors that typically respond to glutamates and nucleotides, which are widely present in me ...

element, usually with a tamarind base *''Sinigáng sa bayabas'' - Sinigang that uses

guava Guava ( ), also known as the 'guava-pear', is a common tropical fruit cultivated in many tropical and subtropical regions. The common guava '' Psidium guajava'' (lemon guava, apple guava) is a small tree in the myrtle family (Myrtaceae), nativ ...

as the sour soup base *''Sinigang sa mangga'' - Sinigang that uses unripe mango as the sour soup base *''Sinigang sa kalamansi'' - Sinigang that uses

lemon The lemon (''Citrus'' × ''limon'') is a species of small evergreen tree in the ''Citrus'' genus of the flowering plant family Rutaceae. A true lemon is a hybrid of the citron and the bitter orange. Its origins are uncertain, but some ...

as the sour soup base *''Sinigáng na isdâ'' - Fish sinigang *''Sinigang sa pakwan'' - Sinigang that uses

watermelon The watermelon (''Citrullus lanatus'') is a species of flowering plant in the family Cucurbitaceae, that has a large, edible fruit. It is a Glossary of botanical terms#scandent, scrambling and trailing vine-like plant, and is plant breeding ...

together with tamarind as the sour soup base *''Sinigáng na hipon'' - Shrimp or prawn sinigang *''Sinigang na baka'' - Beef sinigang * Seafood ''sinigang'' - Fish, shrimp, squid, seashells are combined in this soup *''Bule'' - A variant of sinigang from the

Aeta people Aeta (Ayta ), Agta and Dumagat, are collective terms for several indigenous peoples who live in various parts of Luzon islands in the Philippines. They are included in the wider Negrito grouping of the Philippines and the rest of Southeast A ...

Pampanga Pampanga, officially the Province of Pampanga (; ; ), is a province in Central Luzon in the Philippines. Lying on the northern shore of Manila Bay, Pampanga is bordered by Tarlac to the north, Nueva Ecija to the northeast, Bulacan to the east, ...

that uses

lima bean A lima bean (''Phaseolus lunatus''), also commonly known as butter bean, sieva bean, double bean or Madagascar bean, is a legume grown for its edible seeds or beans. Origin and uses ''Phaseolus lunatus'' is found in Meso- and South America. Tw ...

s (''bule'') and is soured with ''alibangbang'' ( butterfly tree) leaves. Formerly called as ''bule baluga'', the dish is now known mostly as ''bule'' due to the controversial term ''baluga'', a derogatory and racist word towards Aetas.

Similar dishes

'' Sinampalukang manók'' or ''sinampalukan'' 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 with

ginger Ginger (''Zingiber officinale'') is a flowering plant whose rhizome, ginger root or ginger, is widely used as a spice and a folk medicine. It is an herbaceous perennial that grows annual pseudostems (false stems made of the rolled bases of l ...

, onions, tomatoes, eggplant and other vegetables. Other Filipino dishes that are similar to ''sinigang'' but distinct include ''

pinangat na isda ''Pinangat na isda'', also called ''pangat na isda'', is a Filipino dish from Southern Luzon consisting of fish and tomatoes stewed in a broth soured with fruits like calamansi, bilimbi, tamarind, or santol. It can also be used to cook shrim ...

'' from

Southern Luzon Luzon ( , ) is the largest and most populous island in the Philippines. Located in the northern portion of the Philippine archipelago, it is the economic and political center of the nation, being home to the country's capital city, Manila, a ...

and ''

'' from

Cebu Cebu ( ; ), officially the Province of Cebu (; ), is a province of the Philippines located in the Central Visayas region, and consists of a main island and 167 surrounding islands and islets. The coastal zone of Cebu is identified as a ...

. Both of which also use sour fruits but are restricted to fish or seafood and differ in the other ingredients used. There are also similar soured beef stews. They include the ''

cansi ' () is a Filipino cuisine, Filipino beef soup originating from Iloilo which is spread across the rest of the Western Visayas region. It is made with beef shank and Bone marrow (food), bone marrow boiled until gelatinous. It is uniquely slight ...

'' from the

Western Visayas Western Visayas (; ; ) is an Regions of the Philippines, administrative region in the Philippines, numerically designated as Region VI. The region comprises the islands of Panay and Guimaras Island, Guimaras. It consists of five Provinces of the ...

islands which use beef and

breadfruit Breadfruit (''Artocarpus altilis'') is a species of flowering tree in the mulberry and jackfruit family ( Moraceae) believed to have been selectively bred in Polynesia from the breadnut ('' Artocarpus camansi''). Breadfruit was spread into ...

and is soured with batuan or

fruits. Because it resembles a cross between ''

bulalo ''Bulalô'' () is a beef dish from the Philippines. It is a light colored soup which is made by cooking beef shanks and bone marrow until the collagen and fat has melted or dissipated into a clear broth. Traditionally the soup is served with t ...

'' and ''sinigang'' it is sometimes known as ''sinigang na bulalo''. Another soured beef stew is '' sinanglaw'' from

Ilocos The Ilocos Region (; ; ), designated as Region I, is an administrative region of the Philippines. Located in the northwestern section of Luzon, it is bordered by the Cordillera Administrative Region to the east, the Cagayan Valley to the northe ...

which is soured with bilimbi or tamarind, but is unique in that it also includes bitter ingredients like

bitter gourd ''Momordica charantia'' (commonly called bitter melon, cerassee, goya, bitter apple, bitter gourd, bitter squash, balsam-pear, karela, karavila and many more names listed below) is a tropical and subtropical vine of the family Cucurbitaceae, w ...

or bile, as is common in Ilocano cuisine.

Malaysia

Around the east coast of

Peninsular Malaysia Peninsular Malaysia, historically known as Malaya and also known as West Malaysia or the Malaysian Peninsula, is the western part of Malaysia that comprises the southern part of the Malay Peninsula on Mainland Southeast Asia and the list of isla ...

, particularly in the states of

Kelantan Kelantan (; Kelantan-Pattani Malay, Kelantanese Malay: ''Klate''; ) is a state in Malaysia. The capital, Kota Bharu, includes the royal seat of Kubang Kerian. The honorific, honorific name of the state is ''Darul Naim'' ("The Blissful Abode"). ...

and

Terengganu Terengganu (; Terengganu Malay: ''Tranung'', formerly spelled Trengganu or Tringganu) is a sultanate and States and federal territories of Malaysia, federal state of Malaysia. The state is also known by its Arabic honorific, ''Dāru l-Iman (c ...

, there is a dish called ''singgang'' that is considered a close relative of ''sinigang''. The common ingredients found in singgang are lemongrass, galangal, garlic, chili and

asam gelugur ''Garcinia atroviridis'', known as asam gelugur, asam gelugo, or asam keping (in Malay, ) is a large rainforest tree native to Peninsular MalaysiaHassan, Dr. W. E. (2006). ''Healing Herbs of Malaysia''. Kuala Lumpur: Federal Land Development Age ...

as a souring agent. Either '' budu'' or ''

tempoyak Tempoyak (Jawi script, Jawi: ), asam durian or pekasam is a Malay cuisine, Malay condiment made from Fermentation in food processing, fermented durian. It is usually consumed by the ethnic Malays in Maritime Southeast Asia, notably in Indonesia ...

'' would also sometimes be added to further flavourize the dish. Terengganu's singgang and Kelantan's singgang differ through an addition of turmeric into the former. Meanwhile, on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia, another dish that is thought to be similar to singgang is called ''pindang''.

Awards

The TasteAtlas 2021 Awards named "Sinigang" the best soup. It bested the

Romanian cuisine Romanian cuisine () is a diverse blend of different dishes from several traditions with which it has come into contact, but it also maintains its own character. It has been influenced mainly by Ottoman cuisine, Ottoman and Turkish cuisine but a ...

Ciorbă de fasole cu afumătură and

shōyu Soy sauce (sometimes called 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 '' Aspergillus sojae'' molds. It i ...

("soy sauce") ramen of Japan. TasteAtlas 2023 chose the dish as one of the Best Dishes in the World, defeating

żurek Sour cereal soup is a Slavic traditional soup made with various types of cereals such as rye, wheat and oats, which are fermented to create a sourdough-like soup base and stirred into a pot of stock which may or may not contain meat such as boile ...

steak au poivre Steak au poivre (, ), or pepper steak, is a French dish that consists of a steak, traditionally a filet mignon, coated with coarsely cracked peppercorns. The peppercorns form a crust on the steak when cooked and provide a pungent counterpoi ...

, and pho bo.

Origin

Ingredients

Sinigang variations

Similar dishes

Malaysia

Awards

See also

References

Further reading