Sinigang na baboy, bulalo among TasteAtlas' best meat soups worldwide for November 2023
Are you team sinigang na baboy or team bulalo? Well, there's no need to pick sides, as the best of both worlds can and should co-exist. The beloved Filipino dishes are among the best meat soups in the world, according to an aggregated food guide.
On TasteAtlas’ Top 50 list for November, sinigang na baboy placed 11th with a score of 4.5 out of 5, while bulalo placed 17th with a score of 4.4.
Sinigang, in general, and bulalo were named best soups in August 2022.
TasteAtlas in its citation noted that it uses various pork cuts that are simmered along tamarind fruit (sampaloc), as well as ingredients that include tomatoes (kamatis), onions (sibuyas), garlic (bawang), okra, white radish (labanos), water spinach (kangkong), and green long peppers (siling haba).
In the absence of sampaloc, sinigang mix is available in supermarkets, but TasteAtlas said “enjoying the dish made from scratch represents the full experience.”
Bulalo, meanwhile, utilizes beef shanks (hence the name) and bone marrow, simmered for hours until the fat and collagen dissolve into the broth.
Most versions of the soup, which is a specialty of Luzon, include cabbage (repolyo), string beans (sitaw), sibuyas, and corn (mais).
TasteAtlas noted that bulalo is found in the country’s most upscale restaurants because the cuts of meat aren’t among the cheapest.
“It is believed that this simple, comforting, and flavorful soup is the best when the meat is so tender that it falls off the bone,” it added.
Topping the list was Hungary’s Gulyás, a dish traditionally made with beef that is “simmered in a rich paprika-infused broth, usually alongside onions, bell peppers, root vegetables, various spices, and occasionally tomatoes.”
TasteAtlas has recognized Philippine cuisine several times.
Most recently, last September, TasteAtlas named pancit malabon, pancit bihon, and Philippine pancit overall as among the best stir-fries in the world.
The Philippines also placed 19th in TasteAtlas's list of 50 best cuisines worldwide for June 2022.