Google Doodle is celebrating popular Filipino dish adobo on the 16th anniversary of its inclusion in the Oxford English Dictionary’s quarterly word list update.
While there are many kinds of adobo in the Philippines, the basic elements of the dish are marinated meat or vegetables braised into a stew. Adobo is often made with vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, bay leaves, and black pepper but its flavour varies depending on the local ingredients used.
There are many regional twists on adobo. In Visayas, locals eat adobong puti (white adobo), which uses vinegar but not soy sauce. Meanwhile, in southern Luzon, adobong manok sa gata (chicken adobo with coconut milk) is popular because coconut milk is a food staple in the area.
Elsewhere, adobo is made with seafood instead of meat or local vegetables like kangkong (water spinach) or sitaw (string beans).
The Google Doodle says: “After evolving throughout the centuries, this iconic dish is now enjoyed worldwide. It’s a symbol and expression of Filipino pride that varies from region to region, family to family, palate to palate.
“The history is rich, the taste is unmatched, and the aromas are enticing – the children in today’s artwork would definitely agree! Wherever and however it’s served, adobo leaves stomachs happy and mouths watering for more.”
The Google Doodle of Wednesday March 15 was illustrated by artist Anthony Irwin. He told Google: “For children of immigrants, our relationship with our parents’ food is a complex one. On one hand, my mother’s cooking made me feel like I was exactly where I was supposed to be. It felt special and safe and warm. But on the other hand, most kids just want to fit in. Growing up in the US, I didn’t want my food to be special. I didn’t want to feel different. I just wanted to be like everyone else.”
Irwin continued: “Now as an adult, I get to find all of these opportunities to be proud in ways childhood didn’t let me feel proud. I can claim Filipino food as a part of my culture and celebrate the connection it creates between my mother’s identity and my own.
“I ordered some southern-style chicken adobo from a local restaurant to stir up some memories while working on the art for this Doodle, and the first thing that hit me was the smell. It was so bright and nostalgic and instantly filled my apartment with that familiar feeling: this is exactly how things are supposed to be. So I tried to capture that simple childhood joy of leaning in and savouring the kind of food that makes home feel like home. Kain nang mabuti!”
