Glossary of Terms

ACHUETE - annatto seeds used for food coloring

ADOBO  - marinated meat, vegetables or fish seasoned with garlic, soy sauce, vinegar and spices. 

AMPALAYA - also known as bitter melon, balsam apple, amargoso

ARROZCALDO - ginger flavored rice-chicken soup

BANGUS - milk fish

BEEF TAPA - marinated beef strips

BIKO - glutinous rice flour cooked in brown sugar and coconut milk
 
BOKCHOY - chinese cabbage

BUKO - young (unripe) coconut; the meat of the young coconut

CASSAVA - yuca or manioc; 

CHORIZO - chinese or spanish style sausage

CILANTRO - also known as Chinese Parsely or Kinchay or Kuchay.

DAING - process of preparing fish or seafood either sun-dried or simply marinate with vinegar, salt & garlic.

DINUGUAN - pork blood stew

DREDGE - to coat with flour or sugar

EMBUTIDO - Filipino meatloaf or pork roll

ESPASOL - made from rice flour cooked in coconut milk and sweetened coconut strips, dusted with toasted rice flour

FOLD IN - blending a light ingredient, such as beaten egg whites, into a heavier ingredient by lifting from underneath with a spatula or spoon

GINATAAN - cooking the meat, seafoods or vegetables in coconut milk. 

GINISA - stir fry

HASA - HASA - a type of fish also called mackerels

HIPON - shrimp

KALAMANSI - baby limes 

KAMIAS- cucumber tree

KASUBHA -  a spice derived from the flower of the saffron

KNEAD - process in the making of bread or pasta dough, used to mix together the ingredients and add strength to the final product

LABANOS - radish, icicle o white radish

LANGKA - jackfruit

LATIK - fried coconut milk curd

LUMPIA WRAPPER  - spring roll wrapper 

MAMON - yellow sponge cake

MARINATE - soaking in brine, usually containing vinegar, wine, spices, herbs, soy sauce, etc.

MATAMIS OR MINATAMIS -  cooked with sugar, or with other sweeteners 

MUNGGO - mung beans

PALITAW - small, flat, sweet rice cake

PANDAN -   Pandan is a herbaceous tropical plant with long green leaves and used to lend a unique taste and aroma.

PANDESAL - salt bread; Filipino dinner roll coated in bread crumbs

PATIS - fish sauce; native salty sauce

PESA - ginger flavored fish soup.

SABA - Cardaba Banana, cooking banana

SAYOTE / CHAYOTE - pear-shaped vegetable; 

SINIGANG -  soup or stew characterized by its sour flavor most often associated with tamarind (sampalok) 

SITAW  - long beans or string beans  

SUMAN - a rice cake made from glutinous rice cooked in coconut milk, and often steamed in banana leaves

TALONG - eggplant

TAMALES - An indigenized version of the Mexican tamales, the Filipino tamales is a steamed delicacy made with a mixture of ground white and brown (toasted) rice, ground peanuts and coconut milk topped with strips of chicken, shrimp, chorizo and slices of hard boiled eggs and wrapped in banana leaves. 

TILAPIA - African cichlid fish

TOFU - protein-rich food coagulated from an extract of soybeans

TOGUE - bean sprouts

TORTA -  omelette made with eggs, ground meat and sometimes minced onion and potato

TURMERIC POWDER - yellow spice powder

TURON - banana roll; fried banana fruit coated in brown sugar and wrapped in lumpia wrapper

UKOY/OKOY - Filipino version of shrimp fritters; shrimp patty