THE BEST SOUP IN THE WORLD (Sinigang)

- Sinigang—it's sour,
it's so comforting,

and apparently,
it's one of the best soups

in the world
according to TasteAtlas.

So what makes it so special
and why do Filipinos

have so many different ways
of making it?

That's where the main asim kilig
kind of thing comes out.

We're here to interrogate,
investigate, and most importantly

taste our way through
the mysteries of Filipino food.

This is Patikim.

So what makes sinigang distinct?

Well, the secret lies
in our very Filipino way

of adding sourness
to everything.

And depending on where you live,
those ingredients

can vary greatly.

Sinigang is a verb,
and versions will vary

throughout the archipelago.

We often associate sour
with acid—

sampaloc, batwan,
calamansi, etc—

and most souring agents
have citric acid.

But I'm wondering
if the level of acidity

in our sinigang is what affects
its sourness.

What do you think,
Professor Ara?

- Thanks, Erwan.

So the total titratable acidity
is one of the basic

and simple tests for us
to determine the amount of acid.

So when we say amount,
that's the concentration

of acid present in our sample.

So when it comes to food,
there are different types

of acids present.

And normally, we report
the total titratable acidity

on the type of acid.

So right now we will test
four samples,

three of which are fruits.

We have the calamansi,
the biasong, the batwan,

and then this will be compared
to our instant sinigang mix.

There are different types
of acid in food.

Each fruit will have
a distinct type of acid.

They may not be the same
for all of the samples

that we have tested.

So that is one factor in terms
of the total titratable acidity

and in terms
of the perceived sourness.

So of course,
the acids present in the food

will greatly contribute
to the sour taste

of a particular dish.

But it is not normally
the amount of acid present

in the food which dictates
the sourness.

It also is dictated by the type
of acid present.

So during titration,
the setup is very simple.

So we only have a burette
and then the reagent,

just one base,
and then an indicator

for the color change—
and that’s it.

So the titration procedure
is pretty straightforward.

There, it’s starting to turn pink.

So when we start seeing the pink,

that means we're getting close
to the endpoint.

That means our base is close
to neutralizing the acid

in the sample.

The reporting for this is
in terms of the type of acid.

So for example, for calamansi,
the dominant acid here

is citric acid, so we’ll report it
in terms of citric acid.

For sinigang, it also varies
depending on the type

of souring agent.

For tamarind, it’s tartaric acid;

for calamansi, it’s citric acid;

for batwan, I also think
it’s citric acid;

and for kamias,
it’s oxalic acid.

Those different types of acid
also have different

perceived sourness.

So it doesn’t necessarily mean
that the higher the amount

of acid present in the sample,

the higher the perceived sourness.

It depends on the type of acid.

Among those acids
in food related to sinigang,

tartaric acid has the highest level
of perceivable sourness.

That’s why tamarind
is the most common

souring agent for sinigang.

There.

We can already see a pink color.

So if the color fades quickly,
it means we’re still far

from the endpoint.

If the pink color takes
a while to disappear,

that means we’re closer
to the endpoint—

or the total volume of base needed
to neutralize the acid.

There.

That’s the endpoint—pink color.

So for the instant mix,
the volume used was

around 22.5mL,
so it’s less compared

to the calamansi earlier.

The calamansi was,
if I’m not mistaken, 55mL.

So 55mL of base volume.

For the instant mix, it’s 21.5mL,
so that means

our calamansi sample has
a higher titrated acidity.

That just means the volume
or concentration of acid present

in the calamansi is higher compared
to the instant mix—

but that doesn’t necessarily mean
that in terms

of perceived sourness,
the calamansi is more sour.

When it comes to taste,
we have no instrument

that can really measure
the degree or intensity

of a particular taste.

So as they say,
the best instrument

for detecting taste is still
the human tongue.

So let’s try this biasong
with no added water.

It’s taking a while to turn pink.
Very acidic.

The level is high—yeah.

So if it finishes quickly,
that means there’s only

a small amount of acid.

If it takes long or uses
a large volume,

then the acid is high.

The flavor profile of sinigang
is kind of complex—

it’s like a balance of sweetness,
sourness, and saltiness.

So we’re already at 50mL
but it still hasn’t neutralized,

so we need more base.

This one is already diluted—
I already added water—

but the volume needed
to neutralize the acid is still high.

There. Faint pink.

There.

So the volume used
for diluted biasong—

with added water—is 96.3mL.

So there’s also very high
total titratable acidity

present here.

Let’s try the batwan. 10mL.

Let’s try it as-is, no water.

So batwan is known
as a souring agent

in the Visayas area.

Oh, just a bit
and it turned pink right away.

For batwan,
the volume was small—

around 3mL to reach
the endpoint.

More or less, calamansi
and biasong are close, yes.

Because we also diluted
this one with water.

So those are the results
for these tests.

So after conducting
the total titratable acidity test,

we found that the batwan
has lower total titratable acidity

as compared to the calamansi
and the biasong.

As for the instant mix,
it has a lower

total titratable acidity also
as compared to the biasong

and the calamansi.

So Erwan, based on this test,
we can conclude

that we really cannot say
that a dish will be sour,

perceived as sour,
if it has higher

total titratable acidity,

it still depends on the type
of acid present on the dish

and of course,
the other flavors in the dish.

So what we can do is
we can have a sensory evaluation

of different sinigang dish
made or prepared

with different souring agents
and let the people taste,

let them decide whether
or not the perceived sourness

is acceptable or right for them.

- We need to get
to the bottom of this.

So we gathered a group
of unsuspecting individuals

to put their taste buds
to the test.

Do they perceive sourness
in the same way?

- Hey, guys!

- My name is Seth
and I'm from Manila.

- Hi! I'm Ina
and I'm from Bacolod.

- Hi! I'm Trish
and I'm from Manila.

- I'm Martin
and I'm from QC—

Quezon City.

- Hi! I'm Nika.

I'm from Misamis Occidental
in Mindanao.

- Yo, what's that?

(laughs)

I think this is calamansi.

I was surprised—
it tastes like dipping sauce.

Because it tastes
like dipping sauce.

- I like this one.

It kind of tastes
like sinigang mix.

- Okay.

(chuckles)

Wow!

It stings.

- I'm scared.

I think this is the sourest one.

It hurts the roof of my mouth.

- Christ.

(chuckles)

It’s like I’m getting cramps here—
hold on.

- The whole thing?

I can't bite it.

It's not coming...

You should get a filling first, Ate.

- This is still undercooked.

- Disclaimer, I have
the lowest tolerance to sourness.

- I inhaled it!

(coughs)

I was like,
"Oh, Sour Patch Kids,"

then it just kept going
more sour and sour and sour.

My mouth is still watering.

- Okay, okay, okay, I get it.

Sinigang isn't just a soup,
it's a cooking technique,

it's a way of life, some may say.

It really is a choose
your own sourness adventure.

But why are we Filipinos
so obsessed with its tangy

kick and flavor?

We're sitting down
with Micky Fenix.

I'm sure she'll have the answers.

- I'm Michaela Fenix.

Sometimes I write
under Micky Fenix.

I started writing about food
in the 1980s.

It was just a hobby of some sort.

After that, people kept
on writing me about their food

because they wanted
to showcase their food.

It's always been supposed thing
about Filipino food

that we like sour.

But it's not only us, apparently.

It's also our Southeast
Asian neighbors, ASEAN,

and then around the world.

Bryan Koh wrote something
about that in one book

that we did, and he said
sourness apparently

releases serotonin
and it's something

that makes us feel good.

I would like to add to that
that sourness

actually wets the appetite.

And the Filipino... it's so crazy.

You go to any carinderia,
you eat there,

the Filipino diner will always ask
for soup,

and usually the soup is sinigang.

So I think that sort
of establishes it as something

that we need to have in our meals—
something sour.

Also, because we have pickles—
atchara.

We need something
to balance, let's say,

richness with sour
so that you temper

the richness of a food.

So the sourness always has
to be there somehow,

you know.

And of course,
our penchant for soup.

And I think many Filipinos
are like that also in a sense.

Like me.

I mean, when I look
at the food and see—

what would enhance the food,

what would make it taste better.

We all have the same preference
for sourness also

in our ASEAN neighbors.

I was so surprised.

One time I was researching,
and then I saw Malaysia

had singgang
and then they use kamias.

So I said to myself,
"Doesn't that sound sinigang?"

It's very near us.

But they also have other things
apart from that.

I mean, it depends on where
in Malaysia you are.

They have all this sort
of sour food.

And I said to myself,
when we were doing the book

"Table for 10,"
which is shared ASEAN food,

we thought, "My gosh,
we're practically the same."

We just...

Even if...

We did call the food the same,
"sinigang," "singgang."

You know?

What's nice about sinigang
is you can put in anything

and make it sinigang
and make it sour.

So I remember when I was in Cebu,
they would always chide me

and say, because I am from Luzon,

"Your sinigang is so sour."

They would always say that.

And then, I would return,
"Yours lack sourness."

The difference is there
but it's the same in terms

of sour soup.

I think the MSG scare
is just too much.

You have soy sauce,
which is MSG,

and we use it all the time.

And for me, the mere fact
that food companies

are doing convenience food helps
in promoting our food

in the world, you know,

so at least people will get
to know us through that even if...

Because if we teach them
from scratch thing,

it's not going to be appealing
to them.

First of all, where will they get
the sampaloc, right?

Where will they get the kamias?

It's convenience. Yeah.

It's our culture, our penchant
for liking sour things.

- The best thing
about understanding a dish

and getting to know it intimately,
knowing its history,

trying to understand
its context, its milieu,

is that it gives you the tools
to kind of appropriate it

subjectively in terms
of what you think

is the best version of the dish.

Sinigang is something
that we all grew up eating,

we all have
that shared memory of it.

But as we've seen,
flavor is very personal.

So if you're someone
that likes to cook at home,

especially when it comes
to Filipino food,

especially one of these dishes
that's more of a category,

less of a dish,
more of a technique

and a cooking style
and less of a prescription,

then it should give you
the liberty to eventually

make your own recipe regionalistic.

We can actually get
different ingredients

from different parts
of the Philippines

and come up
with something different.

And I feel the combination
of batwan and sampaloc

is absolutely beautiful
when it comes to this soup.

Right, Jed? Awesome.

Let's get cooking.

So that goes into our pot here.

And right away
with our tomatoes

and my onion.

So these will just be quartered.

All that goes into our pot.

So these will just be quartered.

All that goes into our pot.

Give some water, Jed.

Thank you, sir.

Add your water inside.

With some fish sauce.

Just a little bit for now.

Just a preference,
slices of ginger.

And we're gonna wait
for that first boil to come up,

and then skim off
some of that protein.

So you've got a nice
clear-ish broth.

Obviously, this is not supposed
to be a clear soup.

If you wanted to be really kind
of particular about it,

you could clean it up with,
like, a egg white raft

or something.

I'm gonna add
some crushed tomatoes here.

There's nothing else in here.

It's just gonna give it
a nice color.

And I'm gonna add the tamarind
and the batwan in here.

And I think
if you're a restaurant...

This is maybe controversial,
but personal opinion.

If you're a restaurant,
like a proper sit-down restaurant

making sinigang,
I really don't think you should be

using sinigang packs,

because you go to restaurants,
you know, for food,

be prepared with love,
and it should be a labor of love.

And if you're using a pack
in a restaurant,

unless it's a fast food place,
I really don't think it has

its place there.

But I'm not a hater.

I don't not like it.

I just think there's a time
and place for it.

So you'll see the batwan
and the tamarind

have kind of doubled in size.

And this has a lot of flavor.

So when you kind
of press this down

and you get kind
of that milky pulp,

that's where the main "asim kilig"
kind of thing comes out.

So this is just a more
modern way of doing it.

So basically you could
kind of mash it,

but I do feel like
there's way more flavor trapped

in there.

So I'm going to go ahead
and blend it

because it is soft enough.

So I'm going to transfer all
of this into my blender.

Okay, let me blend this.

You can see the color
of our brothel

is cooked crazy milky,
which is how I like it.

And there's no taro
or anything in there, right?

So we got that milkiness just
from the tamarind

and the batwan,
and that's why I like blending it.

We go in with our radish
and with our eggplant.

Our kangkong stems.

And then right before serving,
we're gonna add in

our kangkong leaves.

And at this point is
when you can kind of season

a little bit, and then
we're going to add

more seasoning later
as needed.

Try this out.

When I have friends who come
to the Philippines

for the first time, you know,
I always get asked,

you know, "Where should we go?
What should we try?"

and everything.

Filipino food is so diverse, right?

And a lot of what we do here
in FEATR talks

about how diverse it is
and how many different types

of cuisines and cultures
have kind of imbued

the local flavors.

But things that are sour
and acidic are so distinct

to a Filipino.

If you were to ask me
what is one flavor profile

that makes Filipino food
different from the rest,

I would say it is our love for
and our penchant

for things that are sour.

And you can see that
through dishes like sinigang,

but you can also see it
through our sauce.

Our sauces always have
something acidic, citric acid,

or has some sort of sourness
to it as well,

to balance our love for richness
and our love

for kind of fattiness.

Dinuguan—the sourness
is also key to make that dish

more palatable.

So Jed brought all his friends.

- Wow. Smells great.

- Okay. Who wants to try it?

- We all want to try it,
of course.

- Let's go!

- Did you sauté the...?

- No, boiled it.

- Oh, you boiled it. Okay.

- Did you sauté your stuff
for your sinigang?

- Careful with the knife.

- Wow, it’s almost like
it has taro.

- So what do you guys think?

Yes, I used tamarind and batwan.

- Delicious.

- I love the sourness.

- It's also tender.

- So sometimes it's really hard
to get the sourness

we now associate with it,
but I think this is pretty close.

Like, obviously sinigang pack
would be way more sour

than this.

So, final thoughts?

What do you guys think?

- I like it.

- I mean, Trish, do you know
when people taste from food,

usually you don't double dip.

- Oh, sorry.

- Oh!

- That's why it became more sour!

- My grandmother said
it's going to spoil.

(laughs)

- So I hope you guys
have learned something

in this first episode of Patikim.

The idea is to kind of explore
Filipino food

through a different lens,
sprinkling a little bit of science,

sprinkling a little bit of broscience,
and sprinkling all

our subjective biases as well.

This was sinigang.

Who knows what we're going
to tackle next.

- It's delicious.

Actually, I prefer sinigang with taro.

But its creaminess—
it’s almost like

it already has taro.
So it’s a yes.

- The Jed approved.

- But he said he still prefers
the one with taro.

That’s what he said.

(laughs)

- But it’s still delicious,
very delicious.

- So is it sinigang?

- Yes.

- Say “yes, it’s sinigang.”

- Yes, it’s sinigang.

- Yay!

- This is sinigang.

What do you think we’ll make next?

- Subscribe, ka-FEATR!