Food has become a big part of the Filipino culture as most Filipinos enjoy eating. Filipinos serve food as a symbol of celebration, hospitality, and love. While Filipinos love serving variety of dishes during gatherings or just a simple dinner, there are certain dishes that became staples of the Filipino culture.
It is undeniable that Sisig has become one of the staple food in the Filipino culture. Almost every Filipino loves Sisig – the traditional Filipino dish which originated from Pampanga. The traditional ingredients in making this classic Filipino dish are parts from a pig head and liver, and is usually seasoned with calamansi and chilli peppers. As time goes by, the original recipe of Sisig has evolved in many ways. The variety of ingredients, the way it is prepared, and the way it is served in diners or restaurants – Sisig has innovated throughout the years.
With its distinct texture and flavourful taste, Sisig is celebrated as one of the best Filipino dishes there is.
But what about the best sisig with a twist?
As there are various kinds of sisig across the country, Unilever Food Solutions (UFS) Philippines – the maker of Knorr, together with LTB Philippines Chef Association and Zomato, launched an initiative dubbed as the “Certified Knorr Sisig Masters” certification program in search of the best innovated sisig dishes in the country.
The Certified Knorr Sisig Masters certification program awarded exclusive Knorr Sisig Master stars to chefs who took the challenge of innovating the classic Sisig dish into a more flavorful dish using Knorr Liquid Seasoning.
“We at UFS celebrate food innovation as it brings out, first, the best abilities of talented chefs to create extraordinary flavors, and second, the potential of classic recipes to blossom into an even greater gastronomic experience,” said James Benedict Carreon, Managing Director of UFS Philippines. “This is why we are happy to also partner with like-minded organizations such as LTB Philippines Chef Association and Zomato, to recognize and give our seal of approval to the best sisig innovations across the country.”
Carreon shared that Sisig is the perfect dish to showcase what food innovation can do, and is perfect to partner with Knorr Liquid Seasoning which can help chefs to push their sisig recipes further. Sisig presents a unique flexibility on taste which chefs can play around with. With Knorr Liquid Seasoning, chefs can innovate the taste of the sisig dish.
Last November 13, out of 262 chefs all over the country that competed for the title Knorr Sisig Master – ten top Filipino chefs gathered together at the Enderun Tent for a grand cook-off to hail the first-ever ultimate Knorr Sisig Master. The Knorr Sisig Grand Winner will take home P100, 000 along with the distinction of having the best sisig innovation certified by Knorr, LTB Philippines, and Zomato.
Out of the ten Filipinos who took the challenge of making the best Sisig dish with a twist, it was Ruby A. Dela Cruz with her Squabama Sisig was hailed as the Knorr Sisig Master. The Squabama Sisig dish is composed of Squash, Banana and Malunggay and features a innovated taste with Knorr Seasoning.
Dela Cruz shared how she did not receive formal training when it comes to cooking and only learned to cook by cooking home dishes.
Sisig continues to be a big part of our Filipino culture and continues to evolve through taste, composition, and preparation. But despite all of these innovations and evolutions, there is one thing for sure which Filipinos can attest – the Filipino love for Sisig will never change.
