Philippine / Filipino Cookery Reference Vocabulary

Philippine Cookery Reference Vocabulary

Adobado -- a Philippine meat dish similar to "adobo" but differs in the latter in that the pieces of meat and garlic are browned by pan-frying. Little broth  and vinegar are added back as a sauce before serving.

Adobo -- a Philippine meat dish prepared by marinating pieces of beef, chicken, pork or a mixture of meats and vinegar, crush garlic, spices and sometimes soysauce. The mixture is simmered until tender and finally allowed to brown its own fat. Fleshy fish ma be cooked into "adobo"

Agar or Agar - Agar -- a carbohydrate obtained from red seaweeds or Ceylon moss. It is also called "vegetable gelatin" and differs form gelatin obtained from connective tissues of meat. Agar or vegetable "gulaman" is locally available in bars or shreds contrasted to the real gelatin (which is by-product of meat industry). Besides its uses as gelatin desserts "gulaman" and gelatin are good stabilizers in foods like ice creams and candies.

Ago-ot -- type of fresh water fish is called spotted grunt. Average length is 30 centimeters and it has spiny fins. But served as fried fish or in "sinigang" when very fresh.

Alakaak -- type of fish called plain croaker suitable for frying  and for cardillo.

Alamang -- tiny shrimps smaller than dilis or about 1 to 2 cm long. Often used in patis and bagoong making. 

Alige / Aligue -- yellow to orange-red fatty portion in crabs, usually deposited near the head opening.

Alimango -- a large crab usually of black and grey shell.

Alimasag -- crab smaller than in "alimango"which has spotted shell, usually softer than the large black crab.

Almondigas -- Meat balls or bola-bola.

Almusal -- Breakfast.

Alugbati -- Malabar night shade leaves. a dark green leafy vegetable cooked like kamote leaves.

Alumahan -- striped mackerel.

Am or Am-Am -- cereal water, usually from cooking rice.

Amplaya -- bitter melon. A vegetable added or used in "pinakbet", "bulanglang", "guisado"or sautees and pickles.

Ampaw -- sweetened puffed rice.

Anchovies -- small fish used in "patis" and "bagoong". Locally called "dilis". In foreign cooking it often served as an appetizer of in pizza pies.

Anis -- Anise seed -- a spice with strong licorice flavor. Used whole or ground in cake, cookies, breads, beverages, and salad dressings. Also spell as "aniseed". Locally called Anis and used in ginataan, sapin-sapin and puto.

Annatto -- red seeds used as a food coloring as in pansit sotanghon. Locally called ATSUWETE.

Anonas -- also anonas in english, a fruit as big as atis but more oblong than round. and it has coarser sandy in texture.

Apahap -- two-finned sea bass. Best served as sinigang or steamed with mayonaise topping.

Apog -- lime or calcium oxide. used for firming fruits as in candied "condol".

Apulid -- Water chesnut.

Araro / Uraro -- Arrow root starch.

Arroz caldo -- a rice gruel usually with chicken or tripe pieces seasoned with patis or salt and slivers with ginger. Garnished with minced greed onions.

Asado -- meat dish simmered in soy sauce, bay leaves, onions, tomatoes and pepper-corn.

Asado de Carajay -- pan-broiled. Usually apply to meat.

Asin -- Salt.

Asohos -- banded whiting.

Asukal -- Sugar.

Asugon -- banded barracuda. Type of fish.

Atay --  Liver. A variety meat used in dinuguan, bachoy, Served simply as pan-fired or inihaw.

Atimoya -- a fruit which is cross of atis and anonas but has fewer seeds. Texture and taste are similar to anonas.

Atis -- Sugar apple.

Atsara -- (Achara) -- pickles.

Bagoong -- salted and fermented fish or shrimps .

Banak -- Grey mullet.

Bangus -- Milk fish.

Basi -- fremented drink from sugar cane, popular alcoholic beverage of the Philippines.

Bataw -- Hyacinth bean, a leguminous vegetable of green pods,and usually purples edges.

Bayabas -- Guava.

Bibingka -- filipino food made of rice or flour, coconut milk and sugar.