If you’re looking for classic Filipino food, it doesn’t get more traditional than adobo. This versatile recipe, with its strong, distinctive taste, is a favorite of both natives and visitors alike. Saucy or dry, tangy or sweet, you’ll love the complex layering of flavors and texture of this delicious dish. Here’s more on what adobo is all about.

What Is Adobo?

Adobo is a Filipino food created by stewing raw ingredients in a mixture of vinegar and soy sauce along with spices—usually garlic, pepper, and bay leaf, with optional spicy chilies, brown sugar, or other seasonings. Chicken and pork are the most classic ingredients that are cooked using this method, but fish, shrimp, and squid are also popular choices in some regions. Depending on the recipe, adobo can be served mostly dry, with the vinegar/soy mixture as a sauce, or all together as a stew.

The History of Adobo

The word “adobo” may be Spanish in origin, but the dish itself is purely Filipino. It dates back to the Pre-Hispanic period, when cooking in vinegar may have been a way to preserve meat against the region’s warm temperatures. Spanish colonizers in the 16th and 17th centuries wrote about the “adobo de los naturales,” or the “sauce” or “marinade” of the native people, and the name “adobo” stuck.

Today, adobo is still served in the Philippines and across the world. For Filipinos, it is the flavor of home; for travelers, it’s a taste experience they won’t forget. No matter whether adobo is an old favorite or a new possibility, don’t miss the chance to try this delicious dish!

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