Anyone here thinks that adobo (our national meal) is ridiculously overrated?
in Buhay Pinoy
I don't know why this meal gained the number one spot. Honestly, it's not even that presentable, and nowhere near close to being the country's best tasting meal.
This story is true. I was in my college canteen once and I was looking for a meal to order at the front of the cashier. The guy beside me is a Korean. He was about to order adobo but after realizing cooking oil was floating on it, he backed out. LOL! Na fear factor sya.
I think the reason why adobo become the most iconic meal is because we need a meal that goes with rice (our staple food) and deviates from the other cuisines (e.g., pancit) that have foreign origin.
This story is true. I was in my college canteen once and I was looking for a meal to order at the front of the cashier. The guy beside me is a Korean. He was about to order adobo but after realizing cooking oil was floating on it, he backed out. LOL! Na fear factor sya.

I think the reason why adobo become the most iconic meal is because we need a meal that goes with rice (our staple food) and deviates from the other cuisines (e.g., pancit) that have foreign origin.
Comments
masarap naman kasi talaga ang adobo...hindi nakakasawa...lalo na chicken adobo....OMG!
masarap din ang adobong isda...
but a japanese friend of mine loves adobo. i usually give her some when we cook adobo and she just can't seem to get enough of it. hehe.
i think other asians like it as well, it's because they also eat rice.
most, if not all of our dishes are not presentable. there was a discussion like this at Food & Drinks sub-forum; Reason as to why Filipino foods don't get appreciated enough by other nationalities (or something to that effect). Kasi daw parang pagkatapos lutuin, ihahain nalang bigla at wala ng presentation.
although, yes there are better tasting pinoy dishes around, i think adobo became iconic as the "national dish" because of its versatility and shelf life which makes it "the poor man's food".
just think... halos kahit ano pwede mong i-adobo. plus the ingredients are so cheap and it is simple to make. not to mention you can eat a lot of rice kahit konting ulam lang. in fact... i can eat a lot of rice with just the sauce.
but i've read an essay before by one of the national heroes i think, and he said that sinigang should be the "national dish", also citing the dish's versatility and variety... oooh, i have to get that book back home...
anyway, i love adobo and the way my dad cooked it... adobong tuyo... yung walang masyadong sabaw... sarap!
tsaka, hindi siya madaling masira... tumatagal ng isang linggo kahit hindi naka-ref...
OT: sa AFN dito sa korea... merong ad about asian cooking lesson and they specifically mentioned na kasali sa lulutuin ang "Filipino dish Lumpia"... i guess it's because a lot of the americans there like lumpia... my korean husband also likes lumpia (and sinigang!)
lumpia ang all time favorite ng mga puti chaka ibang lahi.. hehehe...
mas masarap pa sa akin yung sinigang kesa sa adobo eh.. hehehe... nanjan na rin ang kare-kare... hehehe
from what i know barbecue in latin america is not called adobo(contrary as to what jadebench was saying)its "asado"...you can google it if youre in doubt *okay* ..and yes you heard me right barbecue in latin america is asado...not the same asado that most of the pinoys are familiar with though..:)
this thread made me think,what is the ultimate 100% filipino dish then?
Seriously, where else do they have sinigang? :crazy:
but i agree that a lot of caucasians love adobo. even the ones who are health conscious dont seem to mind the oil as they dont eat it often anyway but when they do they love it. i cant remember how many of them asked for the recipe & ive even tried their version of it & it was just as good even without the msg :bungi:
dead heat between pinakbet & balatong (munggo) *okay*
one way to cook adobo is to fry first the meat, then drain the oil and add the other ingredients. that way the meat will not swim in oil
speaking of kare-kare. there's already a mix for that. so just boil the meat till tender, and then put everything in the pot, and season to taste.
sinigang - not that hard either. same logic. but for someone to put all those ingredients (gabi, err what other veggies do they put besides kangkong and okra?), i guess that's the time you can say it's hard.
My fiance loves the adobo I cook and he's not pinoy.
Adobo being our national dish is fine with me...
Not overrated whatsoever
masarap naman, tsaka halos lahat pwedeng i-adobo...
pork, chicken, kangkong, sitaw, isda...
pati nga mga insekto, ina-adobo...
depende rin kung paano/ano ang luto- adobo sa gata, adobong matamis, adobong tuyo, adobong masabaw, adobo sa pinya, adobong puti, adobo sa kalamansi...
pwede pang ipalaman sa pandesal, filling ng siopao/puto, gawing adobo flakes at ibudbod sa pizza, sahog ng spaghetti, ihalo sa sinangag, at sahog kahit anong igisa...
madaling lutuin, ok lang kahit natuyuan ng sabaw at may tutong pa, makakain pa rin...
kung may natira, iinit lang ng konti, pwede na naman uli...
kitam, panalo talaga...hehe...
depende naman yan sa pagkaluto, lasa at presentation para magustuhan ng foreigners...
dahil nga karaniwa'y medyo dark brown ang kulay, i-adjust mo lang ang dami ng toyo na gagamitin mo para hindi magmukhang panggatong ang karne...
bawas-bawasan rin ang mantika, kung maari wag na maglagay ng mantika at hayaang magmantika yung taba ng karne...
ganun lang...
siguro ang closest rival nito ay ang sinigang...
kung variety rin lang ang pag-uusapan, at kung gaano ka-patok sa panlasa ng mga Pinoy...
i guess sinigang nga ...or like what stjames said on this thread,munggo and pinakbet is one of the more filipino dish that we know of na mejo unique
As for uniquely filipino..there are actually lots out there..
Pinakbet
Pinikpikan (god I love this...)
to name a few