What is Sinigang and Why Is It So Delicious?
If you’re a soup lover, you’ll definitely want to know about sinigang. Sinigang is a traditional Filipino soup or stew that boasts a sour flavor palate and can be made with a number of different ingredients. For a rundown on everything you need to know about this beloved Filipino food, keep reading on.
As mentioned above, sinigang is a sour soup dish that typically uses tamarind, a tropical fruit from Africa, as a souring agent to get its flavor. It gets its name from the Tagalog verb “sinigang,” which means “to stew.” Given that there are 7,107 islands in the Philippines, there is no “one right way” to prepare sinigang. Even though its exact origins are unknown, historians believe sinigang is a native Filipino dish because it can be traced back to the Philippines before the Spanish colonized the country. Today, sinigang is considered to be one of the most popular kinds of Filipino street food, due to its comforting and refreshing nature, and its appetite-boosting qualities that make for easier living in a tropical climate.
Sinigang is compatible with all sorts of soup fixins, including beef, pork, fish, chicken, prawns, string beans, okra, eggplant, tomatoes, and so much more. The recipe for sinigang has been through some changes over the years, so much so that it's not uncommon to replace tamarind with other souring agents like guava, calamansi, lemon, raw mango, santol, kamias, and even strawberries and watermelon. Not only that, but now you can find all sorts of sinigang variations, like sinigang rice, sinigang paella, sinigang bulalo, and so much more.
Now that you have a better understanding of what sinigang is, it’s time to pick out the perfect Asian grocery items for your next bowl of sinigang on Bokksu Market.
Sinigang Sa Sampalok Tamarind Soup Base
Though you’ll need to add your choice of meats and vegetables to the broth, the Sinigang Sa Sampalok Tamarind Soup Base from Knorr provides beginners with the perfect spicy and sour tamarind base for their homemade sinigang dish.
Sinigang Sa Sampalok Tamarind Soup Mix
Similar to the product above, the Sinigang Sa Sampalok Tamarind Soup Mix from Mama Sita’s requires extra fixins to complete the dish, but the base broth is ideal for creating that must-have mix of sour and savory.
7 Grain Mix For Rice
If you’re interested in venturing into the world of sinigang rice, Bokku Grocery has a number of different rices to choose from, like the 7 Grain Mix For Rice by Nishiki. This multigrain rice option features seven types of grains: medium grain brown rice, brown sweet rice, red rice, buckwheat, quinoa, black rice, and millet.
Or, if you’re looking to stick to one type of rice, check out the Dynasty Jasmine Rice or Nishiki Premium Brown Rice.
Kizami Shoga Shredded Pickled Ginger
Ginger is a popular topping in sinigang dishes, and the Kizami Shoga Shredded Pickled Ginger from Wel-Pac makes for a great ginger go-to! This ginger comes ready-to-eat and packs that classic punchy flavor it's so well-known for.
Before you run off to make your first sinigang dish, make sure to check out these grocery must-haves and more at Bokksu Market, the Asian grocery delivery service that lets you order groceries online so you can spend less time at the grocery store, and more time at the dinner table.
By Jillian Giandurco
Author Bio