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Essential Filipino Ingredients

Filipino ingredients can be found in Asian or Latin American grocery stores. If there are Filipino eateries in your neighborhood, it is worth checking with them to find out where they get their supplies. Chinatowns are also good places to look. Many hard-to-find fresh vegetables, such as bitter gourd, can be found frozen, canned, or bottled. Also, a wide variety of Filipino products are now available from online businesses (see Resources, page 112).

Agar-Agar is a thickening agent made from seaweed that is used to make desserts and jellies. It is flavorless and dissolves when boiled in water and sets to a gelatinous form when left to cool. It is similar to gelatin although gelatin is made from animal by-products and easily dissolves in hot water. Agar-agar gels more firmly than gelatin too. Known as gulaman in the Philippines, agar-agar is sold as dried white or colored bars or packed as flakes or powder. Look for them in Asian or health food stores.

Anchovy Sauce, or bagoong isda, is fermented fish sauce—anchovies are commonly used—that is popular either as an ingredient or condiment. Anchovy sauce is very salty, has a strong, pungent smell, and varies in appearance, color, and flavor. No need to sauté or cook the sauce when used as a condiment. Asian groceries sell bottles of gray-colored anchovy sauce either as bagoong monamon or bagoong balayan, and may contain whole anchovies. Do not confuse with regular fish sauce or patis. See also Sautéed Shrimp Paste.

Annatto Seeds are tiny, dried reddish-brown seeds used as natural food coloring. They have little flavor and are mainly added to impart a tinge of red color to dishes. The seed is usually soaked and squeezed in warm water or fried in oil to extract the reddish orange color (see How to Make Annatto Water, page 19). The seed is from the annatto fruit, originally brought from Mexico to the Philippines. It is sold in packets or bottles in Asian or Latin American grocery stores. Mixing paprika with ground turmeric powder is a good substitute. Red food coloring may also be used, or you can simply omit the coloring agent altogether.

Bananas Among many varieties, saba bananas are widely cultivated in the Philippines. They are shorter in length but stouter than regular bananas. The skins are thick and green when unripe, yellow when ripe. In a typical Filipino dish, unripe or semi-ripe saba bananas are used. Semi-ripe or ripe saba bananas are fried, grilled, and boiled for desserts and soups. Saba bananas are usually cut into four pieces when used in soups. Thinner slices are called for in desserts such as Sweet Coconut Milk Delight (page 98) and Mixed Fruits and Shaved Ice Parfait (Halo-halo, page 104). Frozen saba bananas are available in Asian grocery stores. Plantains or unripe regular bananas may be substituted (use about half of a plantain for every saba banana.)

Banana Blossom Also known as banana flower or banana heart (puso ng saging is the term commonly used in the Philippines, puso is Filipino for heart), this vegetable is an edible bud from the banana plant and is actually several layers of reddish fibrous skins. Fresh, bottled, or canned banana blossoms are sold in Asian grocery stores. When using a fresh blossom, remove several layers of the hard outer sheets to reveal the lighter-colored inner layers, cut into thin circles or quarters, and soak them in salted water before cooking. Artichoke hearts or zucchini flowers may be used as substitutes.

Banana Ketchup looks just like regular ketchup and is made from bananas, tomatoes, sugar, vinegar, and spices. It has a sweet-and-sour taste and doesn’t taste like bananas at all. The red coloring is added so it looks like tomato ketchup. Banana ketchup is cheaper than tomato ketchup in the Philippines, and is also commonly found in Hawaii and the West Indies. It is often used as a dip for fried chicken, hotdogs, and other fried dishes. It is readily available in Asian grocery stores. Tomato ketchup is a good substitute.

Banana Leaves are sold either as large sheets folded up, or pre-cut to smaller sizes. These versatile leaves can be baked, grilled, used as a cooking sheet, a plate, or a wrapper for steamed dishes. The banana leaf gives the food a nice texture, color, and taste. Leaves should be rinsed, cut, and held over an open flame for a few seconds or scalded with boiling water to “wilt” them and make them easy to fold without cracking. The leaves can also make a beautiful and exotic background when used as serving plates and party platters. Frozen leaves are often sold in large sizes and can be sut down to smaller sizes. Leftover leaves can be simply wrapped in plastic and stored in the freezer. They are available either fresh or frozen in Asian or Latin American grocery stores. Aluminum foil can be used as a substitute.

Bitter Gourd, or bitter melon, is a very nutritious vegetable—it controls blood sugar levels—but has a warty exterior and bitter taste that can be off-putting to some. To remove the bitter taste, slice the gourd in small pieces and then soak them in warm salted water, or lightly boil in salted water before cooking. The skin is edible but you need to discard the spongy interior and seeds. When it is ripe, it becomes more bitter; the skin turns yellowish and the seeds become red. With its distinct taste, it is difficult to find a substitute. Fresh, frozen, canned, and bottled bitter gourd is available in Asian and Latin American grocery stores. Canned or bottled bitter gourd is widely available at online grocery stores (see Resources, page 112).

Calamansi Limes are smaller than regular limes. They are round and grow on small bushes all over the Philippines. The juice has a milder and more fragrant taste than regular lime juice. Calamansi limes are halved and usually squeezed over noodles or just about any dish, and are used in marinades or in dipping sauces mixed with soy sauce and chili. Bottled calamansi concentrate can be found in Asian grocery stores, but it is normally sweetened and used mainly for drinks. If fresh calamansi is not available, substiture lime or lemon.

Cane Vinegar (suka) is a very important ingredient of Filipino cooking. Along with salt, vinegar was used to keep food from spoiling without refrigeration in hot and humid Philippines so most, if not all, dishes are salted and use vinegar. Throughout this cookbook, mild cane vinegar is used. It is often labeled sukang maasim or “sour vinegar.” Any Philippine-made palm vinegar (sukang paombong) or coconut vinegar (sukang niyog) can be substituted. Filipino vinegar is less acidic than most vinegars used in the West. The best substitutes are white vinegar, white wine vinegar, or cider vinegar. However, if you use these vinegars they should be diluted with water (use 3 parts vinegar to 1 part water).

Chayote is a light green pear-shaped vegetable that comes from Mexico. It belongs to the squash family and the taste is like zucchini or summer squash. It should be peeled and deseeded. When buying, try to find chayotes that are firm and without spots. It is often a substitute for green papaya in dishes such as Chicken Soup with Green Papaya (page 42).

Chili Peppers Bird’s-eye chilies, or siling labuyo, refer to the small, hot peppers that are usually finely chopped and mixed with vinegar and soy sauce to make dipping sauces. Finger-length green chilies, or siling mahaba, are long, thin and flat and are commonly used in stews and soups. Siling bilog refers to bell peppers.

Chinese Cabbage (Napa cabbage) is also known as snow cabbage, pak choi, or Peking cabbage. Unlike European cabbage, it has an elongated head with white stalks and green leaves. It is rich in Vitamin C, fiber, and folic acid, and widely available in supermarkets.

Chorizo de Bilbao are dried sausages that originally came from the Basque province of Spain. The Philippine version of chorizo is more like a Chinese sausage—spicy, firm, and dry-cured. It is similar to salami with a salty-and-sweet flavor. It is more popular than fresh sausages because it stores well for a longer period at room temperature. It is available in vacuum packs in the unrefrigerated sections of Asian or Latin American grocery stores. A good substitute is any dried, sweet sausage or Chinese lap cheong sausages, which are found in vacuum packs in the frozen section. Chorizo de Bilbao should be refrigerated after opening.

Coconut Sport Strings are the sliced meat of a variety of coconut palm fruit called macapuno that does not contain water inside the shell. It looks exactly the same as a regular coconut, but the meat is softer, making it ideal for desserts. It can be used as toppings for Sweet Purple Yam Pudding (page 99) or Mixed Fruits and Shaved Ice Parfait (Halo-halo, page 104). Jars and cans of it are sold in Asian grocery stores.

Grated Coconut is sold fresh in markets in Asia, and you can buy bags of it frozen in some Asian grocery stores. You can also buy brown husked coconuts, crack them open, remove the flesh and grate it in a blender although it’s a lot of work. Another solution is to use unsweetened dried grated coconut and add water to reconstitute it.

Coconut Milk comes in two types: thick and thin. To obtain thick coconut milk, place about 3 cups (600 g) of fresh grated coconut (the amount that one coconut yields) and ¹/₂ cup (125 ml) of warm water in a bowl, knead for 3 minutes, place in a cloth and squeeze. Thick milk is best for desserts. To obtain thin coconut milk, add 1 cup (250 ml) of water to the same grated coconut, place in a cheesecloth and squeeze. Thin milk is used for general cooking. Use fresh coconut milk immediately as any leftover gets spoiled easily. Canned coconut milk is widely available and the thickness varies depending on the brand. Once opened, coconut milk should be kept refrigerated and stored only for a couple of days; otherwise, it begins to sour. You can freeze it but thaw fully before cooking.

Fermented Black Beans (tausi) Also called “salted black beans,” tausi has a pungent, bitter, and salty flavor. Tausi is sold in jars in most Asian grocery stores.

Filipino Cane Vinegar See Cane Vinegar

Fish Sauce (patis) is a very salty, translucent, amber-colored, fermented sauce that is usually available in tall bottles under various brand names. It is very salty so it does not require refrigeration and will keep indefinitely. As an essential ingredient in Filipino dishes, fish sauce is either used as a seasoning when cooking or used as a dipping sauce. Fish sauces made in Vietnam, Thailand and China are very similar and may be used in place of Filipino fish sauce.

Fried Pork Rinds (chicharon) are crunchy, deep-fried and seasoned pork skins that are dipped in spicy vinegar, crushed and used as toppings or as an ingredient in soups and stews. There are different types of chicharon available from various Spanish-speaking countries. Look for Filipino chicharon if you can, or buy the thin pork cracklings without flavoring. They are sold in bags in Asian or Latin American grocery stores.

Green Papaya is the unripe papaya fruit. It has a green skin, white meat, and tiny white seeds that is most often used like a vegetable. If not available, chayote is a good substitute.

Glutinous Rice (malagkit) in the Philippines is used for kakanin— sweet rice desserts like Sweet Rice Cakes with Fried Coconut Topping (page 100) or Rice Cakes with Sweet Coconut Filling (page 109) or for Kapampangan Paella (page 89). This type of rice turns sticky when cooked. It is sold in bags in Asian food stores and many supermarkets.

Jackfruit (langka) is native to India, and is the largest tree-borne fruit in the world. The tree itself reaches up to 60 feet (18 m) in height and the fruit can weigh up to 80 pounds (32 kg). Unripe jackfruits are cooked as a vegetable in some countries but ripe jackfruits are very popular in the Philippines as an ingredient in desserts. Green and prickly on the outside, the bright yellow fruit inside is soft and sweet and encases many hard, black seeds. You can normally buy the fruit already peeled, which is better because it is messy and time-consuming to peel it yourself. Look in Asian, Latin American, and Middle Eastern grocery stores. Frozen, bottled, and canned jackfruits are also widely available. Other sweet fuits like pear and mango may be used in place of jackfruit.

Noodles (pancit) Pancit is the general Filipino term for noodles. Noodles symbolize prosperity, long life, and good luck, making them a popular birthday fare. Filipinos believe the longer the noodles the better, so noodles are usually not cut when cooked. There is a wide range of noodles, and each type has a different texture and taste. Always follow the package instructions when cooking noodles.

Cornstarch Noodles (luglug) Often labeled pancit luglug, these round, thick, white-colored noodles are sold dried. After being cooked, they should be drained under running water to wash away excess starch. If the noodles are not rinsed after cooking, they will stick together.

Mung Bean Thread Noodles (sotanghon) These dried and white-colored noodles go by several names: “cellophane noodles,” “Chinese vermicelli,” “glass noodles.” Mung bean thread noodles need to be soaked in water before they are added to the pan. The noodles turn transparent when cooked. They can be stir-fried or cooked in soups (no need to soak them then).

Rice Vermicelli (bihon) Also known as “rice thread noodles,” are thin, dried noodles that do not turn transparent when cooked. Rice vermicelli is first soaked in water to soften before being added to the pan.

Wheat Noodles are commonly available in four types:

Canton Noodles These dried, round noodles are yellow-colored—either from eggs, which they are often made with, or from the addition of yellow food coloring. Canton noodles may be quickly dunked in hot water to soften or added at the last minute to a pan, as these noodles cook easily, despite their thick girth. This noodle is a good choice for stir-fried dishes.

Mami Noodles are normally made of wheat flour and egg. They are thin, often dried, and yellow-colored. Try to avoid using the imitation mami noodles that use yellow food coloring rather than eggs to obtain their yellow coloring. One popular story tells of the origin of mami. A Chinese entrepreneur named Ma Mon Luk promoted his noodle soup by calling out “Mami!” (“Ma” is his name and mi or mee is Chinese for noodles). Hence, mami has come to be associated with any type of hot noodle soup.

Miki Noodles are thick, wide and normally flat noodles that are yellow colored. They are a perfect noodle for soups. They are sometimes also called “Shanghai noodles.”

Misua, also spelled mee sua or miswa, is a dried, thin, white-colored noodle with a silky smooth texture. They cook quickly and are a good choice for soups. They are also known as “angel hair pancit” or “Chinese vermicelli.”

Long Beans (sitaw) are also known as “yardlong beans,” “snake beans” or “runner beans” and can grow to about 18 inches (45 cm). Like green beans, they are typically sliced and sautèed or boiled, although they are not as juicy as green beans. They don’t store well, so use them within a few days of purchase. Green beans make a good substitute.

Miso Paste (miso) is made from fermented ground soybeans and is used for sauces and soups. Miso comes in brown, white, or black. Look for it in Asian or health food stores. Use fermented black beans or bean paste if you cannot find miso.

Mung Beans (monggo) are tiny green beans that are best known as the basis for common bean sprouts. Sweetened and dried mung bean paste is used for cakes and snacks while mung bean starch is used to make mung bean thread noodles. Dried mung beans are available in Asian or Indian grocery stores.

Purple Yam (ube) Powder The purple yam, or ube, is very different from regular yams. This root crop is bigger, has a darker, rougher-looking skin, and a distinct purple flesh. Its dried and ground purple yam powder is used in a wide variety of desserts either for flavoring or color. It is sold in plastic packages in Asian grocery stores or online stores. Frozen ube and bottled ready-made ube pastes are available too.

Rice Flour is milled rice that is usually sold in packets or boxes in Asian grocery stores. Rice flour can be made into galapong, or rice balls, and is also called mochiko. It can be used to thicken sauces. You can also substitute all-purpose flour but the texture will be different. Glutinous rice flour, on the other hand, is normally used for desserts and steamed snacks.

Sautéed Shrimp Paste, or bagoong alamang, is a salty fermented paste made from baby shrimp. Bagoong means “fermented” in Filipino. This popular ingredient has a strong, pungent smell and varies in appearance, color, and flavor. Ginisang bagoong refers to ready-to-eat sautéed fermented shrimp paste sold in jars in Philippine supermarkets and Asian grocery stores. Filipinos love to spoon the bagoong over vegetable and meat dishes, even on food that may already be well seasoned. Bottled bagoong products are sold in Asian stores, look for those imported from the Philippines.The Indonesian terasi, Malaysian belachan, Thai kapi, and Vietnamese mam tom are good substitutes.

Spring Roll Wrappers (Fresh) The round, white-yellowish, crepelike, wafer-thin wrappers are about about 8 inches (20 cm) and usually frozen. They are made of wheat flour, water, coconut oil, salt, and eggs (sometimes without eggs). They are also called “pastry wrappers,” “lumpia wrappers” or “lumpia skins” (balat ng lumpia). Look for the packet that has a picture of fresh spring rolls. Before using, thaw the wrappers fully. Leftover wrappers should be stored in a tightly sealed plastic bag before putting them back into the freezer; otherwise, they will become dry and unusable. Dried rice paper wrappers used to wrap Vietnamese spring rolls and usually found in the dried noodle section, are not advisable for the Filipino fresh spring roll version.

Spring Roll Wrappers (Fried) These are square wrappers and are slightly thicker than the fresh spring roll ones. They are also labeled “spring roll pastry” and are available frozen. They are made from wheat flour, water, coconut oil, and salt and sometimes eggs. The sizes vary, so cut the large ones before serving. Thaw the wrappers completely before using. If you wish to store the leftover wrappers, place them in a tightly sealed plastic bag. Look for the packet that has a picture of deep-fried spring rolls. Either the Filipino or Chinese spring roll wrappers may be used.

Tamarind (sampalok) fruit ripe tamarind is sweet and is great for jams and candies, unripe tamarind is great for sour sinigang soups. The inside is green and very sour. To make the base for sinigang, the shelled tamarind is boiled, mashed, strained, and mixed with the soup. Frozen tamarind fruits and ready-to-use tamarind paste are sold in bags. If not available, look for the tamarind sinigang concentrate in powder or cubes in Asian grocery stores.

Tapioca Pearls are made from the cassava plant. They have a similar appearance and taste as sago pearls, which are made from the piths of sago palms that are widely grown in the Southern Philippines. To cook the dried pearls, bring to a boil four parts of water and one part of uncooked pearls. Add brown sugar (according to desired sweetness) and simmer for 20 minutes. Dried tapioca pearls are sold in various sizes and colors. Dry sago is sold in packages, and cooked sago is in jars. They can be found in Asian and Latin American grocery stores.

Taro Root (gabi) is a traditional staple in many tropical countries. It has a brown, coarse skin and gray- or purple-tinged flesh with a nutty flavor. The size of taro roots varies, but the Filipino variety is about the size of an orange. Taro is prepared like a potato. Peeled, sliced and cooked, taro is a basic ingredient for sinigang soups as well as for desserts. Firm taro root will keep for about a week at room temperature. Look for them at Asian markets and natural foods store. Jerusalem artichokes, sometimes called “sunchoke,” or potatoes may be substituted.

Toasted Rice (pinipig) is toasted, pounded glutinous rice. Upon harvest, the still-green glutinous rice is pounded flat in a mortar and pestle, and then toasted. Pinipig smells great and is used as a topping for desserts or can be actually eaten like a cereal. Sold in a plastic packages, pinipig looks like crispy rice cereal (which can be a substitute for pinipig).

Tofu (tokwa) There are many varieties of tofu (bean curd). In the Philippines, soft tofu is rarely used and the most common form is the tokwa, which is pressed tofu, sold in cakes. Fried tokwa has a crisp, brown exterior but firm, white inside. Tokwa lasts longer— for about two weeks—than regular tofu when refrigerated. Look for it in the frozen section of Asian or vegetarian/health food stores. Deep-fried tofu, pressed tofu, or extra-firm tofu can be used in its place.

Water Chestnuts are root tubers that are similar to chestnuts in color and shape. When using, cut off the top, peel the skin using a vegetable peeler, and then slice them. The small and round root has a crispy white flesh that retains its crispiness even when cooked. The flavor is bland with a hint of sweetness. It is widely cultivated in paddy fields and marshes in the Philippines. Look for firm water chestnuts with unwrinkled skins. Unpeeled fresh water chestnuts can be stored up to three weeks in the refrigerator. Jicama is a good substitute, but canned water chestnuts are widely available.

Water Spinach (kangkong) also called “convolvulus,” is a nutritious leafy green vegetable that grows in water—making it important to wash the greens thoroughly before cooking. The edible stems are hollow and the pointed leaves are long and thin. Try to use them as soon as they are bought because they do not keep well. Spinach can be used as a substitute.

Wonton Wrappers, or “wonton skins,” are 4-inch (10-cm) squares made from wheat flour, water, eggs, and salt. The thickness varies depending on the brand. Choose thinner ones for use in wonton soup dumplings as the thicker wrappers are for frying.Once filled with ground meat, wonton wrappers can be easily folded and sealed. They have a soft and silky texture when boiled. They are found in the frozen section, next to the tofu or fresh noodles. There are also round dumpling wrappers in the frozen section but these don’t have the same melt-in-the-mouth texture when cooked. Leftover wrappers should be stored in a tightly sealed plastic bag before putting them back into the freezer; otherwise, they will become dry and unusable.