The Philippines – Tapsilog

by Zayna Khan

Silog is the Filipino breakfast has many elements served in a plate. It consists of fried eggs, Sinangag that is fried rice, Ulam, Tapa, Longaniza and Ham. This is like a whole meal of breakfast. In Filipino meals of the day, breakfast is very important and it is named, ALMUSAL. Almusal has all the required nutrients like carbohydrates, protein and sugars with fat content. They used to have the healthy meal in the content to fulfill the daily body requirement. This is start of the day with full energy required by body. In Filipino cuisine, all the meals of the day has specific food for the specific occasion. This is divided into the different meals of the day like lunch, supper, breakfast, snack, dinner, etc.

The combination in which fried rice, with eggs and some sausages, ham and vegetable with some seasoning is amazing to start the day with. Having protein in the form of eggs, rice for carbohydrates, sausages for meat content, and vegetables are also added to gave some crunch to the dish with beautiful colors and also essential minerals and vitamins.

There are common three types of SILOG.

• Tapsilog
• Hamsilog
• Logsilog

These types are depends on the use of side element with main fried rice dish like TAPA, HAM, and LONGANIZA.

In Filipino cuisine, the history of different dishes is totally different because of the different traditional influences of other cultures. There are many other different group in the Philippine archipelago with different culture and traditional customs. Many dishes are mixture of influences from cuisines of America, China and Japan. Dishes have varieties from simple steamed dishes to fried, and healthy version are also be cooked by adding new varieties. But there are still many dishes of other cuisines origination that are cooked but some evolution with the time and Philippines spices and cooking skills to make it different.

ORIGIN OF SILOG

Silog was prepared first time by leftover food from the night before. Sinangag is the fried rice cooked as the separate dish with addition of many vegetables in dinner and lunch. But it is started to eat in the breakfast and now freshly prepared rice is used as the special breakfast in Filipino cuisine.

The term Tapsilog was first time came from the Tapsi ni Vivian, the restaurant in 1980. Vivian del Rosario was the owner of the restaurant used to called a dish tapsilog prepared as the breakfast in his restaurant with sinangag and tapa.

The restaurant was established in Marikina, National Capital Region of the Philippines.

HISTORY OF SILOG

The culinary history of Filipino cuisine is influenced by direct and indirect influences. During the pre-Hispanic era, the steaming, boiling and roasting was common as the traditional cooking method of Philippines. But in 3200 BCE, when China and Taiwan was settled down in the region of Philippines, they started to make their culture prominent through out the Philippines and different dishes, ingredients, cooking methods, serving skills ad cultures were introduced and established at that time.

Influences over FILIPINO CUISINE

• Spice trading
• Indian cuisine influences
• Japanese influences
• Chinese influences
• Hispanic influences

MEALS OF THE DAY IN FILIPINO CUISINE

ALMUSAL

Almusal is the breakfast in which different dishes are very popular. Breads, rice dishes, porridge, eggs, cheese, tapa, silog are commonly used in Filipino breakfast.

BARAKO COFFEE is usually used as the breakfast coffee or drink. Silog is the most favourite and commonly used breakfast item in the Filipino cuisine. There are basic thee traditional silog types but now there are many different types of silog served with new varieties.

TANGHALIAN

This is second meal of the day that is Lunch. The after 12:00 noon considered as Tanghalian. This meals is simple and have less elements mostly, rice and soups. Fried rice with some drink is very common. Soups are also be served as tanghalian with some meat and vegetable content.

HAPUNAN

This is dinner in which main meal is served with full elements like rice, meat, vegetables and some drink with soups are also served. Stir fried beef, rice and vegetables. This is proper meal with all the elements.

PULUTAN

Pulutan literally means “to pick up”. This is like a snack served with liquor or beer. Some pulutan options are :

• Chicharron
• Pork rinds
• Crispy frog legs
• Fried chicken
• Crispy crablets
• Bulaklak

VARIETIES OF SILOG

LONGSILOG

Longsilog is the breakfast plate in which following elements are served :

• Sinangang
• Longganisa (Spanish sausages)
• Fried eggs

ADOSILOG

This Amusal is consist of :

• Fried rice
• Fried eggs
• Filipino Adobo chicken with sauce

BACSILOG OR BACONSILOG

This meal of the day consist of :

• Bacon
• Fried rice
• Fried eggs
• Raw vegetables like tomatoes and cucumber

DAINGSILOG

Dainsilog has different ingredients like the use of dried fish that is not common in Philippines but as the new version and unique taste it is served as the new dish :

• Daing na isda (dried fish)
• Tuyo
• Bilad
• Fried rice
• Eggs

NOKSILOG

Noksilog is also known as Chicksilog. This is chicken dish and has following elements :;

• Piniritong manok 
• Fried chicken
• Fried rice
• Fried eggs

SISILOG

Sisilog is the amusal platter of SISIG. Sisig is the Filipino dish having the mixture of meat in the form of Pork face, belly, and liver mixture in the form of curry. It use chicken liver, calamansi and some pepper for flavors.

• Sisig
• Fried rice
• Fried egg

COMPONENTS OF THE DISH

SINANGAG

This is special Filipino dish of rice. This is Garlic fried rice or simple Garlic rice. This is very simple rice in which precooked rice is stir fried in roasted garlic to have the smoky flavor of stirring over high flames. Some vegetables are also be added into this dish like carrots, scallions, corns, mushrooms, etc. Seasonings are also added in the form of rock salt, pepper and some soya sauce.

Dry meat in the form of Bacon, beef is also added into this dish during stir frying. There are some more option of stir fried rice :

• Aligue fried rice
• Kiampong
• Sinigapuna
• Kuning
• Bagoong fried rice

LONGGANIZA

This is Spanish sausages are used in the platter of this Amusal breakfast. This is also known as CHORIZO. This has many varieties and also having different names like :

• Choriso
• Tsoriso
• Soriso

They smoked sausages consists of garlic, pepper, Muscovado, Paprika, Onions and brown sugar, etc. This is mostly cooked by PORK MEAT but it has also some varieties in BEEF.

VARIETIES OF LONGGANIZA

• Longganisa de recado
• beef longganisa
• Longganisang Bawang
• Dry pork longganis
• Bacolod Longganisa
• Longganisa hamonada
• Longganisang Ybanag

TAPA

Tapa is dried and cured meat options in which beef, chicken, pork, horse, venison and fish are usually prepared. Meat is cut into thin or medium cut slices and then preserved by adding salt, Atchara, vinegar, and some spices. This is cured, dried, preserved meat with many spices. After that it is grilled or fried before serving.

Meat varieties :

• Beef
• Pork
• Chicken
• Fish
• Venison

VEGETABLES OPTIONS

• Mushrooms
• Ampalaya
• Kamote
• Calamansi
• Kamias
• Singkamas
• Chayote
• Calabaza
• Malunggay

TOPPINGS

• Calamansi slices
• Lime slices
• Sesame seeds
• Shallots
• Scallions

INGREDIENTS

TAPA

• Beef sirloin : 500 grams thin slices
• Soya sauce : 1 cup
• Pineapple juice : 1 cup
• Salt : 1 tsp
• Borwn sugar : 1 tbsp
• Calamansi : 4 slices
• moringa leaves : 2
• luya : 1 tbsp

SINANGAG

• Pre-cooked rice : 2 bowls
• Butter : 4 tbsp
• Garlic cloves : 4
• Scallions : 4 tbsp

OTHER ELEMENTS

• Fried eggs : 2
• Carrots : 1
• Cucumber : 1

COOKING METHOD

• For cooking of TAPA meat, marinate the beef with all the ingredients for 3 hours. The slices of beef must be thin so it will be easily cooked and will take less time to tender.
• In a meal while, add butter to the cooking pan and add chopped garlic in it for frying.
• Sauteed the garlic in butter until the dark color appeared, and add pre cooked rice into the roasted garlic.
• High up the flame and stir fry the rice with garlic for 10 minutes.
• This is ready to serve.
• Now take the mairnated beef with all the sauce in the cooking pot and cook it for 20 minutes.
• All the sauce and beef is tendered then it is ready to serve with fried eggs.
• Take a platter and add a bowl of rice on side with beefs and fried eggs.
• Serve it with raw vegetables and seasoned it with sesame seeds.
• Serve it 🙂