Sisig

"Sisig" is a Kapampangan term which means "to snack on something sour". It usually refers to fruits, often unripe or half-ripe, sometimes dipped in salt and vinegar. It also refers to a method of preparing fish and meat, especially pork, which is marinated in a sour liquid such as lemon juice or vinegar, then seasoned with salt, pepper and other spices. [cite web | last = | first = | title =The Pilgrim's Pots and Pans | url= http://karen.mychronicles.net/?p=135| accessdate = 2007-07-10]

"Sisig" as is popularly known today is actually sizzling sisig, a Philippine dish made from parts of pig’s head, liver and usually seasoned with "kalamansi" and chili peppers.

Origin

The dish is said to have originated from locals who bought unused pig heads from the commissaries of nearby Clark Air Base in Angeles City, Pampanga. Pig heads were cheaply purchased since they were not used in preparing meals for the U.S. Air Force personnel stationed there. An alternate explanation of its origin is that it is but an innovative variation on an older recipe, which is pork ears and jowl, boiled, chopped then marinated.

isig queen

Lucia Cunanan of Angeles City has been credited with inventing sisig.cite news |title=RP's sisig queen found dead in Pampanga home |url=http://www.gmanews.tv/story/89628/RPs-sisig-queen-found-dead-in-Pampanga-home |publisher=GMANews.TV |date=2008-04-16 |accessdate=2008-04-16 ] The Philippine Department of Tourism has acknowledged that her Aling Lucing's restaurant had established Angeles City as the "Sisig Capital of the Philippines" in 1974. [cite web |title=Festivals and Events: Pampanga |url=http://www.visitmyphilippines.com/index.php?title=Pampanga&func=all&pid=4530&tbl=0 |publisher=Department of Tourism |work=The Ultimate Philippines Ultimate Travel Guide For Tourists |accessdate=2008-04-16 ] Cunanan's trademark sisig was developed in mid 1974 when she served a unique blend or concoction of boiled and chopped pig ears and cheeks seasoned with vinegar, calamansi juice, chopped onions and chicken liver and served in sizzling plates. Today, varieties include "sisig ala pizzailo", pork combination, green mussels or "tahong", mixed seafood, ostrich "sisig", spicy python, frog "sisig" and "tokwa't baboy", among others.

Preparation

Preparing "sisig" comes in three phases: boiling, broiling and finally frying. [cite book|last=Nora|first=Villanueva Daza|coauthors=Michaela Fenix|title=A Culinary Life: Personal Recipe Collection|publisher=Anvil Publishing|date=1992|pages=14|isbn=971270212X|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=RzovAAAAMAAJ&dq=sisig&lr=] For example a pig's head is first boiled to remove hairs and to tenderize it. Portions of it are then chopped and grilled or broiled. Finally, it is fried with onions and served on a sizzling plate. Variations of "sisig" may add any of the following: eggs, ox brains, "chicharon" (pork cracklings), pork or chicken liver, and even mayonnaise. Recently, local chefs have experimented with ingredients other than pork such as chicken, squid, tuna and even tofu.

Annual "Sisig" Festival

An annual "Sisig Festival" ("Sadsaran Qng Angeles") is held every year during the month of December in Angeles City, Pampanga, celebrating the "Kapampangan" dish. It was made an annual festival by Mayor Carmelo Lazatin on December 2004 to promote the city's culinary prowess. [cite news|url=http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/pam/2004/12/13/news/sisig.fest.eyed.as.annual.tourism.event.html|title=Sisig Fest eyed as annual tourism event|last=Fabian|first=Dante M.|publisher=Sun.Star Pampanga|date=2004-12-13|accessdate=2008-04-12]

References