The Science of Spice

53

Given how important food is to the Filipino way

of life (five meals a day is the norm), dishes are

surprisingly unadventurous with their spicing. Most

classic recipes use no more than two or three spices,

and very few would classify as “spicy” in the hot

sense. Despite more than 300 years of Spanish rule,

which clearly left their mark on a spice palette that

feels more European than Asian, the Philippines

didn’t take to the chilli pepper in anywhere near

the same way as the Spanish and their trading

partners along the Spice Route.

PHILIPPINES

Mild | Colourful | Aromatic

bay

bl

ack

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per
LOCAL SPICE BLEND
Adobo marinade
Filipino recipes often start
with a simple marinade,
usually with coconut
vinegar in a starring role.
Use this recipe to marinate
chicken or pork overnight.
See pp208–09 for a
spiced-up version of adobo.
100ml (3½fl oz) coconut vinegar
50ml (1¾fl oz) soy sauce
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp black peppercorns
2 bay leaves
Place all the ingredients in a
small saucepan and bring the
mixture to the boil. As soon as it
boils, remove from the heat and
allow to cool down to room
temperature before using.
Signature
Bay, black pepper, garlic
This “holy trinity” of Filipino
cuisine is in nearly every
savoury recipe, including
the unofficial “national
dish” adobo.
Supporting
Annatto, turmeric, ginger,
lemongrass, pandan leaf
Spices are rarely used to add
heat, but often as natural food
colouring (red from annatto,
yellow from turmeric) or for
their aromatic properties.
Supplementary
Chilli powder, paprika, tamarind
When Filipinos do reach for
the hot stuff, they tend to
choose powder over fresh
chillies, or opt instead for
paprika. Tartness is valued
over heat, and tamarind is the
main flavour constituent of
the popular sinigang broth.
SPICE
PALETTE
Southeast Asia
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