3 minutes, place in a cloth and squeeze. Thick milk is best for desserts. To obtain thin coconut milk, add 1 cup (250 ml) of water to the same grated coconut, place in a cheesecloth and squeeze. Thin milk is used for general cooking. Use fresh coconut milk immediately as any leftover gets spoiled easily. Canned coconut milk is widely available and the thickness varies depending on the brand. Once opened, coconut milk should be kept refrigerated and stored only for a couple of days; otherwise, it begins to sour. You can freeze it but thaw fully before cooking.
Fermented Black Beans (tausi) Also called “salted black beans,” tausi has a pungent, bitter, and salty flavor. Tausi is sold in jars in most Asian grocery stores.
Filipino Cane Vinegar See Cane Vinegar
Fish Sauce (patis) is a very salty, translucent, amber-colored, fermented sauce that is usually available in tall bottles under various brand names. It is very salty so it does not require refrigeration and will keep indefinitely. As an essential ingredient in Filipino dishes, fish sauce is either used as a seasoning when cooking or used as a dipping sauce. Fish sauces made in Vietnam, Thailand and China are very similar and may be used in place of Filipino fish sauce.
Fried Pork Rinds (chicharon) are crunchy, deep-fried and seasoned pork skins that are dipped in spicy vinegar, crushed and used as toppings or as an ingredient in soups and stews. There are different types of chicharon available from various Spanish-speaking countries. Look for Filipino chicharon if you can, or buy the thin pork cracklings without flavoring. They are sold in bags in Asian or Latin American grocery stores.
Green Papaya is the unripe papaya fruit. It has a green skin, white meat, and tiny white seeds that is most often used like a vegetable. If not available, chayote is a good substitute.
Glutinous Rice (malagkit) in the Philippines is used for kakanin— sweet rice desserts like Sweet Rice Cakes with Fried Coconut Topping (page 100) or Rice Cakes with Sweet Coconut Filling (page 109) or for Kapampangan Paella (page 89). This type of rice turns sticky when cooked. It is sold in bags in Asian food stores and many supermarkets.
Jackfruit (langka) is native to India, and is the largest tree-borne fruit in the world. The tree itself reaches up to 60 feet (18 m) in height and the fruit can weigh up to 80 pounds (32 kg). Unripe jackfruits are cooked as a vegetable in some countries but ripe jackfruits are very popular in the Philippines as an ingredient in desserts. Green and prickly on the outside, the bright yellow fruit inside is soft and sweet and encases many hard, black seeds. You can normally buy the fruit already peeled, which is better because it is messy and time-consuming to peel it yourself. Look in Asian, Latin American, and Middle Eastern grocery stores. Frozen, bottled, and canned jackfruits are also widely available. Other sweet fuits like pear and mango may be used in place of jackfruit.
Noodles (pancit) Pancit is the general Filipino term for noodles. Noodles symbolize prosperity, long life, and good luck, making them a popular birthday fare. Filipinos believe the longer the noodles the better, so noodles are usually not cut when cooked. There is a wide range of noodles, and each type has a different texture and taste. Always follow the package instructions when cooking noodles.
Cornstarch Noodles (luglug) Often labeled pancit luglug, these round, thick, white-colored noodles are sold dried. After being cooked, they should be drained under running water to wash away excess starch. If the noodles are not rinsed after cooking, they will stick together.
Mung Bean Thread Noodles (sotanghon) These dried and white-colored noodles go by several names: “cellophane noodles,” “Chinese vermicelli,” “glass noodles.” Mung bean thread noodles need to be soaked in water before they are added to the pan. The noodles turn transparent when cooked. They can be stir-fried or cooked in soups (no need to soak them then).
Rice Vermicelli (bihon) Also known as “rice thread noodles,” are thin, dried noodles that do not turn transparent when cooked. Rice vermicelli is first soaked in water to soften before being added to the pan.
Wheat Noodles are commonly available in four types:
Canton Noodles These dried, round noodles are yellow-colored—either from eggs, which they are often made with, or from the addition of yellow food coloring. Canton noodles may be quickly dunked in hot water to soften or added at the last minute to a pan, as these noodles cook easily, despite their thick girth. This noodle is a good choice for stir-fried dishes.
Mami Noodles are normally made of wheat flour and egg. They are thin, often dried, and yellow-colored. Try to avoid using the imitation mami noodles that use yellow food coloring rather than eggs to obtain their yellow coloring. One popular story tells of the origin of mami. A Chinese entrepreneur named Ma Mon Luk promoted his noodle soup by calling out “Mami!” (“Ma” is his name and mi or mee is Chinese for noodles). Hence, mami has come to be associated with any type of hot noodle soup.
Miki Noodles are thick, wide and normally flat noodles that are yellow colored. They are a perfect noodle for soups. They are sometimes also called “Shanghai noodles.”
Misua, also spelled mee sua or miswa, is a dried, thin, white-colored noodle with a silky smooth texture. They cook quickly and are a good choice for soups. They are also known as “angel hair pancit” or “Chinese vermicelli.”
Long Beans (sitaw) are also known as “yardlong beans,” “snake beans” or “runner beans” and can grow to about 18 inches (45 cm). Like green beans, they are typically sliced and sautèed or boiled, although they are not as juicy as green beans. They don’t store well, so use them within a few days of purchase. Green beans make a good substitute.
Miso Paste (miso) is made from fermented ground soybeans and is used for sauces and soups. Miso comes in brown, white, or black. Look for it in Asian or health food stores. Use fermented black beans or bean paste if you cannot find miso.
Mung Beans (monggo) are tiny green beans that are best known as the basis for common bean sprouts. Sweetened and dried mung bean paste is used for cakes and snacks while mung bean starch is used to make mung bean thread noodles. Dried mung beans are available in Asian or Indian grocery stores.
Purple Yam (ube) Powder The purple yam, or ube, is very different from regular yams. This root crop is bigger, has a darker, rougher-looking skin, and a distinct purple flesh. Its dried and ground purple yam powder is used in a wide variety of desserts either for flavoring or color. It is sold in plastic packages in Asian grocery stores or online stores. Frozen ube and bottled ready-made ube pastes are available too.
Rice Flour is milled rice that is usually sold in packets or boxes in Asian grocery stores. Rice flour can be made into galapong, or rice balls, and is also called mochiko. It can be used to thicken sauces. You can also substitute all-purpose flour but the texture will be different. Glutinous rice flour, on the other hand, is normally used for desserts and steamed snacks.
Sautéed Shrimp
