Bongcawil, Krystyn Myrhyll Z.

ADOBO OR SINIGANG?

There have been arguments discussed on what should be the national viand of the
Philippines whether it's Sinigang or Adobo. These two dishes are popular or well known
in the Philippines and have also been recognized by tourists who visit the country. Adobo
and Sinigang have evolved into many variations. Although these two dishes are different
from each other, people said that both have the taste and/or touch of the Philippines. But
between these two dishes, what should really be our national viand?
With that said, I'd say that Adobo must be considered as the national viand for it
has a unique taste and mixture of soy sauce and vinegar. The combination of these
sauces is very rare to find in some dishes unlike the tamarind which can be easily seen
in some dishes even to those international ones. According to Santos (2016), an online
poll was posted by the National Commission of Culture and the Arts regarding what dish
should really be considered as the National Viand and it was between Adobo and
Sinigang. 42% have voted for Adobo while 40% for Sinigang and the remaining 18% was
undecided on which to choose between the two. Also, Adobo recipe has been widely
spread to different countries as it gives representation to the Philippines. It is also said
that every province in the Philippines has their own version of Adobo (Santos, 2016). If
you may notice, if you are to ask foreigners or tourists which dish or viand they know
better, most of them will answer Adobo rather than Sinigang. Chef Sarthou also said that
the cooking method of Adobo showcases the regional biodiversity of the country which
makes it suitable for the title as National Dish/Viand (Bueno, 2017).
However, a food historian and food writer named Doreen Fernandez stated that
Sinigang is “the most representative of Filipino taste” because the dish is adaptable to all
tastes such as shrimps, pork, bangus, and etc. (Bueno, 2017). It was also agreed by her
co-food historian Besa, she also claimed that Sinigang is a representative dish of what is
available in the Philippines.
 Sinigang and Adobo are viands that surely make the Filipinos proud by its taste.
Also, both dishes give unique representation of the country in so many different ways. No
matter what the National Viand of the country is, both undeniably gave good impression
to the country and the Filipinos. These two dishes have been already part of the culture
and identity of the Philippines ever since therefore, it won't really matter whether one will
be chosen as national viand and one won't for these two viands are already part of our
identity as Filipinos. The thing that matters more is how these two dishes give the
Philippines and Filipinos an opportunity to be known in different countries or places by
sharing how Sinigang and Adobo of the Philippines taste different from any other
international dishes out there.
 REFERENCES

Bueno, A. (2017). Adobo, sinigang, or sisig: What's your pick for the Philippines'
national dish? Retrieved from
http://nine.cnnphilippines.com/life/leisure/food/2017/06/14/national-dish.html

Santos, M. (2016). #TeamAdobo and #TeamSinigang: Which Side Are You On?

Retrieved from https://philihappy.com/team-adobo-or-team-sinigang/