When Claude Tayag caught a whiff of the Philippines government's move to standardise adobo, the celebrity chef knew it was a recipe for disaster.
The 2021 initiative meant establishing a committee of chefs to prescribe an official way to make the popular dish – a stew of braised meat, chicken or squid marinated in vinegar and soy sauce.
The idea was quickly scrapped after a national outcry, including hashtags and memes that read: “Leave my adobo alone”.
Tayag also used his public status to write 18 newspaper columns decrying the move.
In response to the uproar, former secretary of trade Ramon Lopez reportedly described the action as a way to create an international awareness of the Philippines' unofficial national dish and counter any confusion caused by the growing popularity of the Mexican adobo with its chilli marinade.
“[It] doesn’t make sense at all because the key characteristic of adobo is its diversity,” Tayag tells The National. “It is not an exaggeration to say the reaction back home was angry because you can’t standardise people’s emotions.
“When you are talking about recipes for adobo, what you are really doing is asking a question and it is this: what does adobo mean to you?”
More than a dish
It is a line of thought Tayag explored in his scathing columns before expanding them in the 2022 co-written book The Ultimate Filipino Adobo: Stories throughout the Ages, which he discussed at the recent Abu Dhabi International Book Fair.
Through interviews with local and expatriate chefs and cultural personalities, the book is a sumptuous love letter to the staple and a celebration of Filipino identity.
According to the book, adobo is not so much a dish but a cooking method. “This explains why it is so versatile and you can braise all kinds of meat like chicken, beef, quail, duck, seafood or just vegetables,” Tayag says.
“There is something for everyone here, for all tastes and incomes, and that’s why it’s a great leveller in the Filipino society and is open to all other cultures.
“But when trying to find the ultimate key of what makes an adobo dish a Filipino version, then it is the vinegar. We don’t use it to add to a marinade, instead it is the primary liquid source for the dish.”
Such a minimal baseline for authenticity allows the Filipino adobo to differ not only between regions but households. Indeed, family is a major theme in The Ultimate Filipino Adobo with subjects as Filipino-American academic Randy Gonzales and California restaurateur Dean Patrick Ramirez describing how their adobo is inspired by generational family recipes.
“The area where you came from, your religious, dietary or even economic restrictions all play their part in the type of adobo you had as a child,” Tayag says.
“It is really those elements that make it an emotional and personal dish. The people I speak to told me that what they are trying to do is recreate the dishes made by their mother and aunties.”
As for why the book eschews cooking instructions, he says adobo is ultimately subject to taste.
“You can basically make it with what is available to you without really needing to import anything. It also has this democratic value in that you serve it with vinegar, fish and soy dipping sauces and let the diner adjust it to their preference,” he said.
“This is different to what you will find in western cookbooks or chef-driven restaurants where you are asking yourself to be thrown out of the venue if you wanted ketchup on the side.”
That said, Tayag does have a personal bug bear when eating adobo. “There is nothing worse than ordering an adobo where the meat or chicken is not crispy,” he says. “It does make you want to kill somebody.”
Preserving heritage
One aspect of the adobo where there is universal agreement, Tayag notes, is that it's best eaten with your hands.
“There are over 140 different languages in the Philippines and many of them have a phrase or words about the significance of eating with your hands,” he says.
“If you walk into the malls in the Philippines during lunch time, you will find staff and business people all eating adobo from a lunch box with a plastic covering on their clothes for protection. And in many cases they are eating with other people.
“The fact that these scenes happen at home and outside shows that they are not just eating a dish for sustenance, but they are being nourished by their heritage.”
That blend of history and adaptability means adobo belongs alongside the likes of the Thai green curry or Mexico’s nachos as a globally renowned dish.
Tayag says the dish is already establishing itself on the US culinary map due to the success of Filipino Michelin restaurant Kasama in Chicago.
In its review, Michelin chefs praised its “creative spin” on traditional Filipino cuisine, particularly the salmon dressed with rich tamarind sauce topped with smoked roe over a bed of melting leeks and a lamb belly dish with peanut curry.
“That is basically adobo food but done in a very western and Instagramable way,” Tayag says. “It also shows how food, like any culture, is evolving …. If you put any Filipino anywhere in the world, you will see some version of adobo being made.”
TEAMS
US Team
Dustin Johnson, Jordan Spieth
Justin Thomas, Daniel Berger
Brooks Koepka, Rickie Fowler
Kevin Kisner, Patrick Reed
Matt Kuchar, Kevin Chappell
Charley Hoffman*, Phil Mickelson*
International Team
Hideki Matsuyama, Jason Day
Adam Scott, Louis Oosthuizen
Marc Leishman, Charl Schwartzel
Branden Grace, Si Woo Kim
Jhonattan Vegas, Adam Hadwin
Emiliano Grillo*, Anirban Lahiri*
* denotes captain's picks
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid
When: April 25, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Allianz Arena, Munich
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 1, Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid
Federer's 11 Wimbledon finals
2003 Beat Mark Philippoussis
2004 Beat Andy Roddick
2005 Beat Andy Roddick
2006 Beat Rafael Nadal
2007 Beat Rafael Nadal
2008 Lost to Rafael Nadal
2009 Beat Andy Roddick
2012 Beat Andy Murray
2014 Lost to Novak Djokovic
2015 Lost to Novak Djokovic
2017 Beat Marin Cilic
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs: 2018 Mercedes-Benz GLA
Price, base / as tested Dh150,900 / Dh173,600
Engine 2.0L inline four-cylinder
Transmission Seven-speed automatic
Power 211hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque 350Nm @ 1,200rpm
Fuel economy, combined 6.4L / 100km
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
Tailors and retailers miss out on back-to-school rush
Tailors and retailers across the city said it was an ominous start to what is usually a busy season for sales.
With many parents opting to continue home learning for their children, the usual rush to buy school uniforms was muted this year.
“So far we have taken about 70 to 80 orders for items like shirts and trousers,” said Vikram Attrai, manager at Stallion Bespoke Tailors in Dubai.
“Last year in the same period we had about 200 orders and lots of demand.
“We custom fit uniform pieces and use materials such as cotton, wool and cashmere.
“Depending on size, a white shirt with logo is priced at about Dh100 to Dh150 and shorts, trousers, skirts and dresses cost between Dh150 to Dh250 a piece.”
A spokesman for Threads, a uniform shop based in Times Square Centre Dubai, said customer footfall had slowed down dramatically over the past few months.
“Now parents have the option to keep children doing online learning they don’t need uniforms so it has quietened down.”
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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More from Aya Iskandarani
Quarter-finals
Saturday (all times UAE)
England v Australia, 11.15am
New Zealand v Ireland, 2.15pm
Sunday
Wales v France, 11.15am
Japan v South Africa, 2.15pm
If you go…
Emirates launched a new daily service to Mexico City this week, flying via Barcelona from Dh3,995.
Emirati citizens are among 67 nationalities who do not require a visa to Mexico. Entry is granted on arrival for stays of up to 180 days.
MATCH INFO
Fixture: Ukraine v Portugal, Monday, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: BeIN Sports
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-finals, first leg
Liverpool v Roma
When: April 24, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Anfield, Liverpool
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 2, Stadio Olimpico, Rome
Details
Through Her Lens: The stories behind the photography of Eva Sereny
Forewords by Jacqueline Bisset and Charlotte Rampling, ACC Art Books
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Sustainable Development Goals
1. End poverty in all its forms everywhere
2. End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture
3. Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages
4. Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all
5. Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
6. Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
7. Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all
8. Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all
9. Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialisation and foster innovation
10. Reduce inequality within and among countries
11. Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
12. Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
13. Take urgent action to combat climate change and its effects
14. Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development
15. Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss
16. Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels
17. Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalise the global partnership for sustainable development
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, (Leon banned).
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
ABU DHABI T10: DAY TWO
Bangla Tigers v Deccan Gladiators (3.30pm)
Delhi Bulls v Karnataka Tuskers (5.45pm)
Northern Warriors v Qalandars (8.00pm)
