Two classic Filipino dishes have earned a spot on Taste Atlas’ Top 50 Best Soups in the World List of 2023: Sinigang na baboy (sour pork-vegetable soup) and Bulalo (beef soup).
Both soups received a rating of 4.4 stars out of 5 and ranked 42nd and 43rd, respectively.
Sinigang is a popular savory and sour soup that is typically made with pork cuts simmered with sour tamarind fruit, tomatoes, onions, garlic, okra, white radish, water spinach, and sili.
The soup can also be made with beef, shrimp, or fish, and there is even a version that uses miso, a Japanese seasoning made from fermented rice and barley or soybeans.
While sinigang mix can be found in supermarkets, Taste Atlas recommends experiencing the full flavor of the dish by making it from scratch.
"There is also a similar dish in Malaysian cuisine called sinigang. A version of the pork sinigang is sinigang na miso, which uses Japanese seasoning made from fermented rice and barley or soybeans. Nowadays, sinigang mix is available in supermarkets, but enjoying the dish made from scratch represents the full experience," it said.
Bulalo, on the other hand, is a traditional Filipino soup made with beef shanks and marrow bones that are cooked until the fat and collagen dissolve into the broth, resulting in a rich flavor.
Photo courtesy: TasteAtlas
The soup also includes cabbage, potato, string beans, onions, and corn and is considered a specialty of the Luzon region, where it is commonly consumed during cold weather.
While beef shank and bone marrow are not cheap cuts of meat in the Philippines, bulalo can be found in most upscale restaurants in the country.
For those looking to try the best bulalo in the Philippines, popular Tagaytay City restaurants such as Leslie’s, Balay Dako, Mahogany Market, Josephine, and Bulalo Point are recommended by Taste Atlas.
In the previous year's rankings, sinigang was ranked seventh best soup and bulalo was ranked 19th.
In 2021, sinigang was named the World’s Best Soup and the World’s Best Vegetable Soup.
