4 unique takes on the traditional sinigang

Sinigang is perfect the way it is, but if you’re in the mood for a culinary adventure, try out these other variations | Photo from Lifestyle Inquirer

Sinigang is one of the Philippines’ most famous dishes. This sour soup is a staple in many households across the country, thanks to the warmth and comfort it provides.

The dish is typically made with your choice of protein (most commonly pork or fish), onions, bayleaf, garlic, black pepper, tomatoes, radish, string beans, and tamarind as a souring agent. That’s the standard recipe but depending on what your family recipe is, you can also switch up some ingredients.

Like most dishes, you can still play around with it. Depending on your cravings—or how adventurous you are—you can substitute ingredients with more unique choices. Here are a few variations of sinigang that aren’t your typical recipe. 

Watermelon sinigang

There’s a modern Filipino restaurant in the Philippines with a famous watermelon sinigang. If you haven’t tried it and aren’t flying home to the motherland anytime soon, this recipe will get you close. Using watermelon provides a bit of sweetness to balance out the sour flavors. And it’s really refreshing during summer

Bangus sinigang with guava

Guava has been used as an alternative souring agent to tamarind in most households. It gives the soup a fruitier and sweeter flavor. Using guava with bangus helps bring out some of the fish’s flavor for a hearty, savory-sour dish. 

Kimchi sinigang

In case you didn’t know, there’s a big Korean immigrant and expat population in the Philippines. Filipinos are also fans of K-culture, which makes kimchi a reasonable choice for a souring agent in sinigang. Korean food also shares some similarities with Filipino cuisine, so kimchi sinigang just makes sense.

Corned beef sinigang

The dish can be labor- and time-intensive depending on how soft you want your meat to become. This corned beef version is a god-tier hack for people who want sinigang almost instantly without the wait. It’s not the same as slow cooking the meat for hours, but it works well enough to satisfy the craving.