Pinikpikan

Pinikpikan is a controversial dish originating from the Cordillera mountainous region in the
Philippines. The soup consists of chicken and etag, which is cured and smoked meat that has
been kept underground in earthen jars. What makes pinikpikan controversial is the way that
the chicken is slaughtered – it is gently beaten to death with a stick in a ritual performed by
local tribes.

The chicken is beaten to keep the blood inside, and if properly done, it will not be bloody when
cut. No bones should be broken during the beating and slicing process. However, the
preparation method is in violation of the Philippine Animal Welfare Act of 1998.

Sinigang na hipon

Sinigang na hipon is a Filipino shrimp soup characterized by its sour and strongly savory flavor.
In addition to shrimp, this dish contains a great variety of vegetables, including onions,
tomatoes, string beans, banana peppers, water spinach, taro, radishes, and ladies’ fingers, with
ginger and fish sauce being added for extra flavor.

Sinigang’s signature sour flavor comes from tamarind, but other natural souring agents, such as
green mango, guava, santol, calamansi, bilimbi, or pineapple can also be used. Sinigang na
hipon is very popular in the Philippines, where it is considered a homemade specialty.

Utan

Easy to prepare and packed with healthy vegetables, utan is a famous Filipino soup which
originated in Visayan Islands. This clear vegetable soup was originally a poor man’s dish, which
included any vegetables that were at hand. Nowadays, it can also include a wide variety of root
vegetables and leafy greens which are merely cooked in salted water.

Occasionally, this nutritious soup can be enriched with chunks of meat or pieces of fried fish.
Even though it originated as a frugal dish, today it is regarded as an extremely healthy soup that
is typically prepared in many Filipino households.
Pancit lomi

Pancit lomi is a hearty Filipino soup consisting of fresh egg noodles served in a rich, flavorful
broth. Many regional varieties are thickened with flour or eggs and incorporate pork or chicken,
sliced pork liver, and a variety of vegetables. The most famous version of pancit lomi originates
from Batangas and often employs sliced kikiam, ham, or meatballs.

This Chinese-influenced dish is always served hot and it is usually sold by numerous street
vendors throughout the Philippines.

Batchoy

The hearty batchoy is a popular Filipino soup consisting of pork offal, chicken or beef stock, and
fresh round egg noodles. Generously seasoned with shrimp paste and (occasionally) soy sauce,
the soup is usually topped with pork cracklings, fried garlic, and a raw egg.

Although there are numerous stories about the origin of the dish, there is no doubt that it was
created in Iloilo, more specifically in the district of La Paz, from where it spread to other parts of
the country to become one of the most famous Filipino soup dishes.

Sinigang

This variety of sinigang - Filipino savory and sour soup - consists of various pork cuts that are
simmered along tamarind fruit. Tomatoes, onions, garlic, okra, white radish, water spinach and
green long peppers are also commonly used for this soup. There is also a similar dish in
Malaysian cuisine called siniggang. A version of the pork sinigang is sinigang na miso, which
uses the 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.
Tinolang manok

Tinolang manok or chicken tinola is a nourishing Filipino chicken soup. It can consist of various
chicken cuts and internal organs cooked in a flavorful broth alongside green papaya and chili
pepper or malunggay leaves. The broth is usually generously seasoned with ginger, garlic, and
fish sauce, and the soup is often served over plain white rice.

Chicken tinola is a staple in every Filipino household and can be enjoyed as a starter or a hearty
main course.

Tinola

The term tinola refers to a vast group of hearty Filipino soups prepared with a flavorful broth
infused with garlic, ginger, and fish sauce. Most commonly, the soups are made with chicken,
but pork and seafood varieties are also popular.

Tinola soups can incorporate various cuts of meat and seafood ingredients which are usually
cooked alongside green papaya or chayote, and chili pepper or malunggay leaves. Not much is
known about the history and origin of tinola, but nowadays, they represent an irreplaceable
part of traditional Filipino cuisine.

Bulalô

Bulalô is a traditional Filipino soup that is prepared by cooking beef shanks and marrow bones
until the fat and collagen dissolve into the broth, resulting in a robust flavor of the dish. The
soup is a specialty of the Luzon region, where it is traditionally consumed during cold weather,
when it is usually served for dinner.

Most versions of the soup include vegetables such as cabbage, string beans, onions, and corn. It
can be found in most upscale restaurants in the Philippines, due to the fact that beef shank and
bone marrow are not among the cheapest cuts of meat in the country.
Sinigang

Sinigang is a sour Filipino soup consisting of sampalok (fruits of the tamarind tree), water
spinach, hot peppers, cabbage, broccoli, eggplant, diced tomatoes, sliced onions, ginger, garlic,
green beans, fish sauce, and salt. The basic broth usually consists of rice washing, with the
addition of a souring agent.

Ingredients such as pork, fish, milkfish, shrimp, chicken, or beef may also be added to the soup.
Sinigang is traditionally served piping hot as a main dish, with rice as its accompaniment. It's an
often seen dish at special occasions such as birthdays or weddings, and over time, as the dish
became more popular, there were new variations that used guava or raw mango instead of
sampalok, and each region developed their own version of the popular soup.
Tom Yum (Thailand)

Spicy soups are a predominant feature of Thai cuisine. Tom Yum is one of the most famous in
the country, with an extremely aromatic broth, the result of the combination of several spices
and herbs, including lemongrass, galangal and kaffir lime leaves. In the Thai translation, Tom
means “to cook” and Yum “to mix”. From this simple concept, there were several variations of
the soup with different types of protein in its composition, such as Tom Yum Kung (with
shrimp), Tom Yum Gai (with chicken) and Tom Yum Kha Mu (with pork).

Tortilla Soup (Mexico)

Mexico is known worldwide for its corn tortillas, but few know that this food is the basis of a
famous soup typical of the country. In the Tortilla Soup, pieces of fried corn tortillas are mixed
with a tomato broth seasoned with onion, garlic, parsley and pepper. Tortilla soup is especially
popular in central Mexico. Its origin is a mixture of the legacy of the pre-Columbian peoples
with that of the Spaniards who colonized the region. While tortillas had been prepared since
10,000 BC by the natives due to the abundance of corn in the region, it was the Europeans who
brought the soup tradition to the American continent.

Caldo Verde (Portugal)

Considered one of the 7 Wonders of Portuguese Gastronomy, the Caldo Verde recipe came
from the Minho region, one of the coldest and rainiest in the country. This hot soup served as a
basis for the food of peasants, from the 15th century.In the preparation, goes a typical
vegetable from the north of Portugal: collard greens. This Portuguese soup is complemented by
potatoes and, after being ready, a piece of chorizo is added to contrast with the mild flavours
present there. Traditionally, the Caldo Verde soup should be served in clay bowls, accompanied
with cornbread and good red wine. Several countries colonized by Portugal adapted this recipe
to their cuisines, such as Brazil, where it is made with a different type of sausage.
Phở (Vietnam)

Vietnamese cuisine is rich in flavours and textures, as can be illustrated by one of its most
emblematic soups, Phở. In this dish, rice noodles and sliced beef are cooked in a fragrant broth
with various spices such as coriander, ginger and cardamom. In the original recipe, the broth
takes more than 12 hours to be ready, which guarantees a unique flavour to this typical
Vietnamese soup. Served in several restaurants across the country, Phở is even consumed for
breakfast. Such popularity goes back to the French colonization in Vietnam when the dish was
invented.

Soupe à l’Oignon Gratinée (France)

The elegant French cuisine features one of the most refined soups in the world, Soupe à
l’Oignon Gratinée. Although onion soups were already consumed by the Greek and Roman
civilizations, the first documented recipe for this dish as we know it today was prepared by a
Frenchman in the 17th century.Initially consumed by poor peasants, due to the affordable price
of onions, the soup gained popularity and is now served in all types of restaurants. The great
secret of this preparation is to brown the onions in butter until they are dark. When mixed in a
seasoned broth, a slightly creamy and velvety soup is formed. Nowadays, it is served with a
slice of bread and a nice layer of gratin cheese on top.

Wonton Soup (China)

With a tradition of rich and famous soups, China has dishes that mix different vegetables and
meats in light and aromatic broths. One of the most famous soups in the country is Wonton
Soup, originally from the Canton region. In this dish, a very fine dough made with flour and
eggs, called wonton, is cooked in a spicy broth with vegetables and meat. The origin of this
soup dates back to the 17th century, during the Qing Dynasty, in which this dish was served
only to wealthy families. With the advent of World War II, the soup became popular among the
working classes and today it is consumed throughout the country and in the Southeast Asia
region.
Chupe de Marisco (Peru)

Latin America also has a great legacy in the preparation of traditional soups. Fruit of the
combination of pre-Columbian and Spanish cultures, one of the most famous dishes in the
region is the Chupe de Marisco. This traditional Peruvian soup, popular in the southern region
of the country, is made with seafood cooked in a cream seasoned with pepper and garlic. The
result is a creamy broth, in which cheese and white wine are added. Currently, variations are
found with other proteins such as shrimp, beef and chicken.

Soto (Indonesia)

One of the most popular dishes in Indonesia is Soto, a fragrant broth made with meat and rice
noodles. Several variations are found in the streets of the country, one of the most famous
being Soto Ayam, made with boiled chicken and served with eggs, tofu and fried onions.
Although it is considered an authentic Indonesian dish, Soto, in reality, did not originate in the
country. This soup was introduced in Indonesia by the Chinese throughout their historical
commercial relations. In fact, the word soto comes from the Chinese shao tu, which refers to
cooked entrails.

Chowder Soup (USA)

One of the most traditional North American soup, the Chowder Soup, is made with cream and
seafood. Its origin, however, is European, being first found on the coast of France and in the
south-east of England in the 16th and 17th centuries. When sailors returned from their long
journeys, they were greeted with fish and seafood soup, very similar to today’s Chowder Soup.
With the British colonization in the USA, the soup was brought to America and since the 17th
century recipes for this dish have been found around the continent. There is even an official
date on the American calendar to celebrate the National Chowder Soup Day. Around the
country, there are several varieties of this famous soup, including New England Clam Chowder
(with onions and potatoes), Manhattan Clam Chowder (with tomato broth replacing sour
cream) and Rhode Island Clam Chowder (with bacon and shellfish).

Tacacá (Brazil)

Brazil is a continental country with an immense variety of culinary traditions. Thus, it is difficult
to choose a single soup that represents Brazil, but without a doubt, Tacacá is a dish that
symbolizes many of its food references. This famous soup from the Amazon region is an
inheritance of the indigenous peoples, derived from an ancestral dish called mani poi. The
exotic flavour of Tacacá is the result of a broth made from tucupi, jambu, dried shrimp and
tapioca. This soup is traditionally served very hot in bowls, seasoned with pepper and salt.

Goulash (Hungary)

One of the most famous soups in the world is Goulash, of Hungarian origin. Its roots merge with
the history of their people, who, faced with the need to leave their homes when shepherding
animals, prepared meats to take on trips.

During preparation, the meat was cooked in a seasoned broth until it dried. At the time of
consumption, the shepherds heated them again with water, forming a hot and nutritious soup.

Over the centuries, the Goulash recipe has been improved with the addition of paprika and
tomatoes, taking the shape we know today. In some preparations, potatoes and pasta are used
to enrich the soup.

Efo Elegusi / Egusi (Nigeria)

African soups have typical preparations with surprising flavours. An example is Egusi soup of
Nigerian origin, traditionally consumed by the Igbo people. Egusi is the name given by the
inhabitants of West Africa for pumpkin and melon seeds, which are the main ingredients of
Egusi soup. The seeds are fried in palm oil and added to a broth that carries fish, dried shrimp,
beef tripe, vegetables and spices.

Ramen (Japan)

Oriental food has always been marked by the diversity of flavours composing the same dish.
Therefore, one of Japan’s most traditional soups could not be different. Ramen consists of a
broth based on pork, fish or chicken, seasoned with taré and served with pasta. As a side dish,
several ingredients are used, including vegetables and boiled eggs. Although this soup is
predominantly famous in Japan, its origin is Chinese. Among the legends about Ramen, the best
known goes back to the 17th century, when a feudal lord was presented with food by a Chinese
teacher, being the first Japanese to try the soup. But there are controversies, and it is also
believed that ramen was introduced into Japan by Chinese immigrants between the 19th and
20th centuries and gained popularity after the Second World War.

Borscht (Russia / Ukraine)

One of the great contributions of Eastern Europe to the world’s cuisine can be represented
through the Borscht soup. The characteristic colour of the soup comes from beets, but the
recipe also includes several other vegetables, meats and mushrooms. It can be consumed cold
or hot, usually accompanied with a serving of sour cream. Russia and Ukraine claim the origin of
the soup. However, the oldest reports associate the consumption of this dish with the
confederation of Slavic tribes that inhabited the region for thousands of years, when none of
the countries still existed. It remains to be seen which country will be able to include this typical
soup on Unesco’s list of Intangible Cultural Heritage.