 Basic lugaw | |
| Alternative names | pospas, lugao |
|---|---|
| Course | Main dish |
| Place of origin | Philippines |
| Main ingredients | glutinous rice |
| Variations | arroz caldo , goto |
| Similar dishes | Congee |
Lugaw, also spelled lugao, is a Filipino glutinous rice dish or porridge. Lugaw may refer to various dishes, both savory and sweet. In Visayan regions, savory lugaw are collectively referred to as pospas. Lugaw is widely regarded as a comfort food in the Philippines. [1] [2] [3]
According to the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, lugaw is one of the earliest historically-documented dishes in the Philippines. The Vocabulario de la lengua tagala (1613) by Fr. Pedro de San Buenaventura, defines "logao" (Hispanized as "aroz guisado") as "rice mixed with [coconut] milk or water or of both (porridge)." [4] [5]
Lugaw is traditionally made by boiling glutinous rice (Tagalog: malagkit; Visayan: pilit). Regular white rice may also be used if boiled with excess water. The basic version is sparsely spiced, usually only using salt, garlic, and ginger; or alternatively, sugar. Heartier versions are cooked in chicken, fish, pork or beef broth. It is regarded as a comforting and easy-to-digest food, typically prepared for breakfast and during cold and rainy weather. It is also commonly served to people who are sick or bedridden, and to very young children and the elderly. [6] [7]
Lugaw is usually eaten hot or warm, since the gruel congeals if left to cool. It can be reheated by adding a little bit of water. [8] [9] [10] [11] Dessert versions can be eaten cold or even partly frozen. [12]
Lugaw can be paired or augmented with numerous other dishes and ingredients.
Most savory versions of lugaw are derived from or influenced by Chinese-style congee, introduced by Chinese-Filipino migrants. It has diverged over the centuries to use Filipino ingredients and suit the local tastes. Filipino savory lugaw are typically thicker than other Asian congees because they use glutinous rice. They are traditionally served with calamansi, soy sauce (toyo), or fish sauce (patis) as condiments [13] [14] Savory lugaw are usually paired with meat or seafood dishes. The most common being tokwa't baboy (cubed tofu and pork). [6] [7]
Sweet versions of lugaw are more characteristically Filipino. They include:
The lugaw has been widely associated with the political camp of Philippine Vice President Leni Robredo, originating from her 2016 election campaign during which Robredo's supporters sold the rice porridge as part of a fundraising effort. [20] Robredo's detractors and internet trolls have pejoratively used the tags "Leni Lugaw" or the "Lugaw Queen" after photos of her serving lugaw circulated online. [21] In response, Robredo has since adopted the tag during political events and campaigns, including serving lugaw to attendees of her 2022 Philippine presidential election bid announcement. [22]
Other Philippine rice cooking techniques:
Glutinous rice is a type of rice grown mainly in Southeast and East Asia, and the northeastern regions of South Asia, which has opaque grains, very low amylose content, and is especially sticky when cooked. It is widely consumed across Asia.
Filipino cuisine is composed of the cuisines of more than a hundred distinct ethnolinguistic groups found throughout the Philippine archipelago. A majority of mainstream Filipino dishes that compose Filipino cuisine are from the food traditions of various ethnolinguistic groups and tribes of the archipelago, including the Ilocano, Pangasinan, Kapampangan, Tagalog, Bicolano, Visayan, Chavacano and Maranao ethnolinguistic groups. The dishes associated with these groups evolved over the centuries from a largely indigenous base shared with maritime Southeast Asia with varied influences from Chinese, Spanish and American cuisines, in line with the major waves of influence that had enriched the cultures of the archipelago and adapted using indigenous ingredients to meet local preferences.
Ginataan, alternatively spelled guinataan, is a Filipino term which refers to food cooked with gatâ. Literally translated, ginataan means "done with coconut milk". Due to the general nature of the term, it can refer to a number of different dishes, each called ginataan, but distinct from one another.
Coconut rice is a dish prepared by cooking white rice in coconut milk or coconut flakes. As both the coconut and the rice-plant are commonly found in the tropics all around the world, coconut rice too is found in many cultures throughout the world, spanning across the equator from Southeast Asia, the Indian subcontinent, South America, Central America, West Africa, East Africa, the Caribbean and Oceania.
Benegnet is a Visayan dessert soup from the central Philippines. The dish is traditionally made with glutinous rice cooked in coconut milk with various slices of sabá bananas, taro, ube, and sweet potato, among other ingredients. It is comparable to various dessert guinataán dishes found in other regions such as bilo-bilo. Among the Visayan people, the dish is traditionally served during Good Friday of Holy Week.
Arroz caldo is a Spanish term meaning "warm or brothy rice". It is derived from the Spanish dish Arroz caldoso.
Ginisang munggo is a Filipino savory mung bean soup. It is made with mung beans, garlic, tomatoes, onions, various vegetables, and patis. It is cooked with pork, tinapa, daing, or other seafood and meat. It is also commonly garnished with chicharon. The name means "sauteed mung bean", though the dish ends up being a soup. The name is in reference to the first step of the cooking process where the spices and the secondary ingredients are sauteed before water and the mung beans are added.
Congee is a form of rice porridge made by boiling rice in a large amount of water until the rice softens. Depending on rice-water ratio, the thickness of congee varies from a Western oatmeal porridge to a gruel. Since the history of rice cultivation in Asia traces to the Baiyue-inhabited lower Yangtze circa 10000 BC, congee is unlikely to appear before that date. Congee is typically served with side dishes, or it can be topped with meat, fish and pickled vegetables.
Gising-gising, also known as ginataang sigarilyas, is a spicy Filipino vegetable soup or stew originating from the provinces of Nueva Ecija and Pampanga in the Philippines. It is traditionally made with chopped winged beans, and coconut milk spiced with labuyo chili, garlic, onions, and bagoong alamang. The name literally means "wake up, wake up". It can be eaten alone, on top of rice, or as a side dish to grilled meat dishes. It is a type of ginataan.
Ginataang mais is a Filipino sweet corn and rice gruel. It is also known as lugaw na mais. It is a type of dessert lugaw and ginataan. It is eaten warm in colder months, but can also be eaten cold during summer. Ginataang mais means "corn in coconut milk" in Filipino.
Goto, also known as arroz caldo con goto, is a Filipino rice and beef tripe gruel cooked with ginger and garnished with toasted garlic, scallions, black pepper, and chicharon. It is usually served with calamansi, soy sauce, or fish sauce (patis) as condiments, as well as a hard-boiled egg. It is a type of lugaw.
Paelya or paella (Spanish), is a Philippine rice dish adapted from the Valencian paella. However, it differs significantly in its use of native glutinous rice (malagkít), giving it a soft and sticky texture, unlike the al dente texture favoured in Spanish paella. It is also characteristically topped with sliced eggs. Filipino paelya does not use saffron, but is instead coloured with atsuete (anatto), luyang diláw (turmeric), or kasubhâ (safflower).
Ginataang kalabasa, also known as kalabasa sa gata, is a Filipino vegetable stew made from calabaza in coconut milk and spices. It commonly includes shrimp and yardlong beans and either bagoong or patis. It can also be cooked with fish, crab, or meat and a variety of other ingredients. It is a creamy umami-laden dish that is naturally slightly sweet due to the calabaza. It is a type of ginataan.
Ginataang ampalaya, is a Filipino vegetable stew made from bitter melon and tinapa in coconut milk, bagoong alamang, and spices. The dish can also be made with pork or shrimp and other vegetables. The dish is characteristically savory and slightly bitter due to the ingredients used. It is a type of ginataan.
Ginataang munggo, also known as lelut balatung in pampanga or tinutungang munggo, is a Filipino glutinous rice gruel dessert with toasted mung beans, coconut milk, and sugar. It is typically flavored with vanilla or pandan leaves. Corn and fruits like jackfruit or banana may also be added. It is a type of lugaw and ginataan.
Ginataang isda is a Filipino fish stew made from fish and leafy vegetables in coconut milk with garlic, ginger, onion, patis or bagoong alamang, and salt and pepper. It is a type of ginataan. A common version of the dish, known as ginataang paksiw na isda or paksiw na isda sa gata, is additionally soured with vinegar. Ginataang isda is a type of ginataan.
Ginataang manok is a Filipino chicken stew made from chicken in coconut milk with green papaya and other vegetables, garlic, ginger, onion, patis or bagoong alamang, and salt and pepper. It is a type of ginataan. A common variant of the dish adds curry powder or non-native Indian spices and is known as Filipino chicken curry.
Ginataang kuhol is a Filipino snail stew made from apple snails in coconut milk with leafy vegetables, onion, garlic, ginger, siling haba chilis, bagoong alamang, and salt and pepper. Labuyo chilis are also commonly added for a spicier version. The leafy vegetables can include water spinach, moringa leaves, and chili pepper leaves, among others.
Ginataang labong or ginataang tambo is a Filipino vegetable stew made from bamboo shoots in coconut milk and spices with seafood or meat. It is the most common way of preparing bamboo shoots in Philippine cuisine. Ginataang ubod is a variant of the dish made with heart of palm but is otherwise prepared identically. It is a type of ginataan.
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