May asim pa: New list cites sinigang as one of the best vegetable soups worldwide

Adobo and lumpia may be hogging the headlines as of late, but another favorite Filipino dish has caught the eye of an international audience.

Sinigang was cited by food and travel guide Taste Atlas as among the best in the world according to its latest list.

The popular Filipino dish garnered an impressive 4.8 points to join other tasty selections from across the globe.

“Sinigang is a sour Filipino soup consisting of sampalok (fruits of the tamarind tree), water spinach, green pepper, cabbage, broccoli, eggplant, diced tomatoes, sliced onions, ginger, green beans, water, oil, and salt. The basic broth usually consists of rice washing, with the addition of a souring agent,” the accompanying write-up mentioned.

It acknowledged the many variations of the dish as different regions in the country have come up with their version.

“With its sour lightness perfectly matching the harsh tropical heat of the country, sinigang is a unique soup that is a true representative of Filipino cuisine.”

Other soup dishes that have made it to the list were borscht from Ukraine, Italy's minestrone, mercimek çorbası from Turkey, pasulj from Serbia, and Poland's grochówka, among others.

Sinigang is one of the distinct Filipino dishes loved for its sour and savory flavor.

It is among those included in the Department of Trade and Industry's standardization initiative designed to come up with a uniform way of cooking local dishes such as adobo, sisig, and lechon.

The plan was met with criticisms, with some saying that such scheme diminishes ingenuity common in a country with diverse regional traditions such as the Philippines.

The DTI, however, clarified that the standardization plan is intended for international marketing only.

Meanwhile, here are some international stars who love snacking on another Filipino favorite, the lumpia: