Chicken Adobo. This is a staple Filipino dish that, like many staple dishes, has about as many variations as there are islands in the Philippines. Is there sugar in the recipe? Ridiculous! Maybe ginger? How about soy sauce, Chinese or otherwise? Onions? Garlic? You get the idea.
While there will undoubtedly be unending debates over what recipe(s) truly represent "authentic" or "real" adobo, I'll be content to try different ones and continue making the ones I enjoy eating. To each there own.
Adobo, at its core, is a protein (often pork or chicken) that is braised in a vinegary sauce, sometimes including sabaw (soup), but sometimes cooked until the sauce boils off and the meat sears in the pan.
Families with Chinese ancestry, cultural influence, or just food preference will often add Filipino soy sauce and vinegar. I use Datu Puti brand soy because that is what is available locally, but even low-sodium Kikkoman will have success, though a different flavor profile. The amount of garlic and ginger will vary with personal preference (I always had a healthy amount of garlic, keeps bad things away!)
My family is from Ilocos Norte, although whether the way my grandmother made it was regional or Filipino-American influenced, I'm not certain. She seemed quite influenced by Chinese-style cooking (her lumpia was almost always Chinese-style).
Like many aspects of Filipino culture, the name adobo derives from the Spanish word for marinade or sauce adobo/adobar, although the method is Filipino. In part because it preserves well, the cooking method for making adobo is thought to have been used since the Classical Period, although Chinese cultural influence replaced the traditional salt with soy in many recipes.
The beauty of this dish is that you can prepare it to your family's preferences, with adjustments to salt, soy, ginger, garlic, vinegar, and protein used. Don't let purists say your way isn't traditional or authentic. Adobo's beauty is its versatility. Use it, experiment, and find your own favorite flavors of the Philippines! Here's one recipe for chicken adobo I enjoy to get started, and it uses a slow cooker, so it is super easy to prepare!
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