Comments on: Fresh Sambal / Chili Dipping Sauce

By: geordie

geordie — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 01:34:28 +0000

My Javanese wife who LOVES sambal.
I like it too, but not as much as she does.
Indonesian really do love spicy food.
They eat small bites of cabe*, in between bites of lumpia.

My favorite is sambal terasi.

*cabe looks like siling labuyo to me.

By: sometime_lurker

sometime_lurker — Mon, 17 Sep 2007 03:18:14 +0000

sambal is oh-so-good with manta!
anyone tried this yet?

By: rachelle

rachelle — Thu, 14 Sep 2006 16:02:00 +0000

can’t wait to try my hand on this one. tasted this when we were in singapore and how we loved this so this is a joy for me and my hubby bubbly.
thanks MM!

By: skymermaid

skymermaid — Thu, 14 Sep 2006 06:06:16 +0000

you should come down to zamboanga where some people eat siling labuyo as ulam. some tausugs have bunches of chili branches laden with the red and green fruits on their tables so that they can just pick a few (or a lot) of fresh pieces as they eat. much like having apples as your centerpiece then eating them as side dish as you progress through your meal.

By: Sam

Sam — Wed, 13 Sep 2006 20:48:07 +0000

Marketman, the kurakding is smaller than “tengang daga”. The best ones are about the size of a dime or smaller, usually fan shaped or a bit like curly gingko leaves. It has the same color range as that of a quail eggshell. Kurakding has a subtle earthy, nutty scent, with a firm texture (unlike tengang daga whih is a bit spongy), and best when bought fresh, although the dried ones may be available in some markets. The markets of Legaspi and the weekly markets in towns sorrounding the Mayon area are good and reliable sources. I think the purveyors source kurakding from natural growth forests, and I am uncertain if they even cultivate it commercially.

It’s more of a delicacy that goes well with other ingredients like pork, shellfish, chili peppers, and coconut cream. Pointers: before cooking, pinch or snip off the tough pointy tip and soak the kurakding in cold water for a few minutes, strain, then squeeze out excess water before throwing it into the pot.

Hope you find kurakding soon! It’s not as prized or flamboyant as its cousin the truffle but just as delightful.

By: MasPinaSarap

MasPinaSarap — Wed, 13 Sep 2006 16:39:36 +0000

I’ve often wondered about why we don’t use as much chili either, MM. Maybe we tend to like to the cooler flavors considering the climate can get so intense.
One thing I can’t come to love is the sweet tomato sauces, spaghetti and pizza sauce, that dominate in the Philippine fast food industry, ‘sides Shakey’s (happens to be a favorite):) .
Anywho, I think instead of chilies we are more attached to sour and bitter foods; unripe fruits, vinegars, bitter melon, and leaves. Espicially in Ilocano dishes like Dinengdeng (chili can be added).
One last note, the Thai food that we know has been throughout history totally different than that of the food served to the Thai Royal family who could not be seen experiencing the effects of a spicy cuisine.

By: Wilson Cariaga

Wilson Cariaga — Wed, 13 Sep 2006 13:51:54 +0000

wow. . . I’m just used to buying “sambal oelek” at Santis. . . I’ll be trying to make my own now. . .

By: Marketman

Marketman — Wed, 13 Sep 2006 10:06:56 +0000

sam, are the kirakding bigger than tenang daga? I didn’t notice them in Bicol but I will look out for them the next time. erleen, the larger limes should grow in Manila. Real dayap might be harder. I think you can get lime plants are larger nurseries. If I’m not mistaken there are some fruit tree vendors at FTI at Taguig or perhpas at the Manila Seedling Bank in QC.

By: kulasa

kulasa — Wed, 13 Sep 2006 05:20:14 +0000

Never could eat spicy food. I’ve tried so many times but always ended up with lips that felt like mushrooms not to metion several trips to the bathroom. I don’t really like too sweet or too salty stuff. I’m with corrine, I don’t like masking my food. But hubby Kulas likes food his really spicy. So we compromise. He has this sili plant that have really small peppers. He and everyone else who tried it says it’s hotter than labuyo.

By: erleen

erleen — Wed, 13 Sep 2006 04:46:28 +0000

I would like to grow my own lime plant. Where’d you recommend me to go to look for a plant I can buy? Can it be grown here in Manila?