NATIONAL DISH OF THE PHILIPPINES

 

"ADOBO"

    Adobo is the Philippines' national dish. It gets its name from the Spanish word "adobar," which means "marinade," "sauce," or "seasoning." While parts of adobo's origins are unknown, others are known.
    Malay voyagers landed in the Philippines approximately 3000 B.C., giving rise to the Malay tribes that now dominate Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines. To preserve food in the hot, tropical climate, the voyagers employed vinegar and salt as preservatives.
    Before Chinese traders came during the late Tang Dynasty, around the 9th century A.D., bringing with them a number of essential ingredients like pancit noodles and soy sauce, Filipinos were already marinating their proteins in a vinegar and salt marinade. Soy sauce eventually supplanted salt in Filipino households, a habit that continues to this day.
    Later, when the Spanish captured and lived in the archipelago (a Spanish colony from 1521 to 1898), they witnessed Filipinos marinating their chicken, pig, and fish in vinegar. Recognizing similarities with Spanish adobar, which utilizes paprika, oregano, salt, garlic, and vinegar to preserve and enhance flavor, Spaniards coined the term "adobo."