VINEGAR (SUKA) : Vinegar is perhaps the most used (and thereby important) ingredient in the Filipino kitchen, due in large part to the extended shelf life bestowed upon food cooked in vinegar—a necessary culinary “voodoo” needed for tropical climes during the days before refrigeration. But aside from its preservative powers, vinegar is also used simply because an element of sourness is the most prevalent (and preferred) flavor in Filipino cuisine. For instance, vinegar is the key player in many Filipino dishes like paksiw, kinilaw (page 36), various dipping sauces, and a variety of different marinades. And of course, adobo (page 68) is perhaps the prime example of a vinegar-based Filipino dish.
In the Philippines, a variety of locally sourced, artisanal vinegars are made from the fermented nectar, sap, or juices found in different plants or fruits grown in the surrounding areas. Luckily, many of these vinegars can be found at Asian markets. Datu Puti, Tropics, and Masagana are all good brands from the Philippines.
The vinegars I list here generally hover between 4–5 percent acidity. And while each of them provide different nuanced flavors, they can generally be substituted for each other in the recipes of this cookbook. Also, for each recipe that uses a Filipino vinegar, I do provide a more accessible alternate (e.g. apple cider vinegar, white distilled vinegar, unseasoned rice vinegar).
Palm Vinegar (Sukang Paombong): Filipino Palm Vinegar is made from the fermented sap of the nipa palm. It is named for the region of the Philippines that is known for its Palm Vinegar—Paombong. Sukang paombong is cloudy white in appearance and has subtle notes of lemon and citrus.
Coconut Vinegar (Sukang Tuba): Filipino coconut sap vinegar is made from the fermented sap of a coconut tree and is perhaps the most used vinegar in the Philippines due to the abundance of coconuts. Sukang tuba is also cloudy white in appearance, with a slightly sweet smell. Despite its provenance, coconut vinegar lacks any coconut flavor or aroma, but is instead very pungent and sour. In addition to finding coconut vinegar in Asian markets, organic varieties of coconut vinegar can also be found (for a higher price) in health food stores.
Dark Sugarcane Vinegar (Sukang Iloco): Filipino cane vinegar from the Ilocos region of the Philippines is a byproduct of Ilocano sugarcane wine known as basi. Basi is made by pressing juice from the sugarcane, cooking the juice to a thick molasses state, and then placing the molasses in clay jars. The bark from the duhat (Java plum) tree is then added to the clay jars as a flavoring and fermenting agent. The molasses first turns into the alcoholic basi wine, but if left to ferment longer and sour, the basi then transforms to sukang iloco. Sukang iloco is dark brown in color and somewhat mellow in flavor, though it does have a hint of sweetness to it. Although Ilocano cane vinegar can be used in a wide variety of applications, I find it best when used in Ilocano foods such as longganisa (page 93) and empanadas (page 34). When sukang iloco is used in cooked dishes, such as an adobo (page 68), the final dish will have a very subtle sweet aftertaste.
White Sugarcane Vinegar (Sukang Maasim): White sugarcane vinegar is made from fermented sugarcane syrup. Sugarcane is first pressed for its juice and sap, and then the juice and sap are cooked and left to ferment into vinegar. Sukang maasim is only slightly cloudy, almost clear, and is relatively mild in flavor. It is an all-purpose vinegar good for use in everything from adobo to dipping sauces.
WRAPPERS: With a variety of styles of lumpia available in Filipino cuisine, it might be difficult trying to decide on which wrapper to purchase when rolling your Filipino spring rolls. Here are two readily available wrappers that will produce crisp lumpia with smooth skins:
Lumpia Wrappers: Filipino lumpia wrappers are thin, nearly translucent round skins made from wheat flour, water, oil, and salt. They are most commonly sold in sizes of 9–10 in (23–25 cm) in diameter in the frozen foods section of Asian markets. They should be completely thawed before use. When fried, lumpia wrappers remain smooth and crisp rather than having any bubbles in the skin. The Tropics brand of lumpia wrappers is a good choice.
Spring Roll Wrappers: Square spring roll wrappers can be used in place of round lumpia wrappers. Spring roll wrappers are similar to lumpia wrappers in that they are also comprised of wheat flour, water, oil, and salt. And also like lumpia wrappers, spring roll wrappers are super thin and fry up smooth and crisp. However, spring roll wrappers are usually sold in 8-in (20-cm) squares, rather than rounds. I actually prefer using square spring roll wrappers when rolling lumpia because I find the square shape slightly easier to work with. I prefer the Spring Home brand of spring roll wrappers—they are usually sold frozen in packages of 25.
THE BASICS
The simple recipes in this section will go a long way toward providing a solid foundation of delightful flavors for your Filipino meals. The savory stocks create the base essence for a variety of soup and noodle dishes, providing the richness of shrimp or chicken to whatever recipe they are stirred into. And because no Filipino meal is complete without a table-side selection of sawsawan (the Pinoy term for dipping sauces), the variety of condiments, sauces, and dips described here will taste worlds better than any of the relatively expensive commercially prepared offerings that you could purchase in an Asian market. Everything, from basic sauces of soy and citrus, to homemade banana ketchup, annatto oil, pickles, and mayonnaise, will enable you and your family to further customize and tinker with the already flavorful Filipino dishes you bring to the table.
SPICY PICKLED PEPPERS SUKANG SILI
Pickled Thai chili peppers are a common Filipino condiment. The very spicy preserved peppers can be eaten whole, but they are usually chopped and served with the spicy vinegar in which they were steeped. This fiery chili vinegar is commonly known as sukang sili, and it is usually paired with fried or grilled foods.
This recipe is for use in a 16-oz (500-ml) glass jar. If using a larger container, or if you simply want to double the recipe, first place the chili peppers into the empty container, pour in enough water to cover, and then pour this water out into a measuring cup. The amount of water in the measuring cup will be the amount of vinegar you need to pickle the peppers. For each cup of vinegar, I like to add 2 teaspoons of salt and 2 teaspoons of sugar, but you can adjust this to your own tastes. Feel free to use any type of chili pepper in this recipe, adjusting the size of your jar or container accordingly.
Makes 16 oz (500 ml)
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 10 minutes
¼ lb (100 g) Thai chili peppers, washed and stems trimmed
1 cup (250 ml) white Filipino cane vinegar, or white distilled vinegar, plus more if needed
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
¼ teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons sugar, plus more if needed
2 teaspoons salt, plus more if needed
Pierce each pepper with a paring knife—this will allow the vinegar to seep into the chili peppers more quickly. Place the chili peppers into a clean glass pint jar, or other nonreactive container with an airtight lid.
Combine the rest of the ingredients in a small saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil, and then cover and simmer over low heat for 5 minutes. Remove the pickling liquid from the heat and pour it over the chili peppers