For all the sinigang fans out there, you need to pay attention: there are more ways to enjoy a steaming bowl of your favorite soup. It will still be sour but it doesn’t have to be because sampaloc was used. It will still be delicious and hearty, but the main ingredient might be different. It will still have chunks of meat but it may be fulfilling of a different kind.
If you’re prepared to change your dish for one that might become your new favorite version of the sinigang, here are ways you can make your sinigang more flavorful:
1 You may use sampaloc but also try adding miso.
Miso paste is definitely not Filipino but it does add a certain flavor that’s delicious, too. Substitute gabi and use miso for a creamy looking soup that is a cross between miso soup and sinigang. It will give it a saltiness that’s loaded with umami flavor. It’s a delicious flavor pairing with sampaloc!
2 Switch to seafood.
The most classic of sinigang recipes is actually made with shrimp but don’t be limited to that. The pork sinigang is the meaty version, but using other seafood, such as fish, tahong or mussels, or even halaan or clams creates a lighter-tasting sinigang you might miss out tasting if you didn’t try it. Give it a try the next time you find yourself at the market.
3 Swap meats!
Not all sinigang recipes need to be made of pork or shrimp. For those who want to change things up, chicken is what’s used in the sinamapalukang manok recipe. If you’re in the south, there’s a beef version of the Tagalog sour soup called kansi where the sourness comes from kamias or the local batwan fruit. Both versions are just a hearty, filling, and flavorful as one made with pork and shrimp.
4 Use fresh ingredients.
Mixes don’t always trump fresh ingredients but the real thing does give a flavor boost to your dish such as the sinigang. Simmering ginger, tomatoes, and even fresh sampaloc pods when it’s available give your “sinigang sa sampaloc” a fresh flavor that you might otherwise not taste.
Those in the provinces might have other souring agents available such as the batwan or batuan, kamias, or even green mangoes as substitutes for the sampaloc. These ingredients help create an equally tangy, sour, and super flavorful soup. It’s still a sinigang but its sour flavor is from a fresh, new ingredient that you might find just as delicious.
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