Gustew ko yan! Kare-kare among Best Stews in the World by Taste Atlas

MANILA, Philippines – Keep calm and kare-kare on, because the famous Filipino peanut stew is finally getting the recognition it deserves! Pampanga’s traditional kare-kare has been named one of the Top 100 Best-Rated Stews in the World of 2022, according to international food database Taste Atlas.

The thick, nutty, and savory meat and vegetable stew ranked 52 on the Top 100 list, with a rating of 4.3 stars out of 5. Kimchi jjigae landed in 11th place, with India’s shahi paneer in 7th, China’s Sichuan hot pot in 6th, Thailand’s phanaeng curry in 3rd, and Japanese curry in 1st place.

The traditional dish, which comes in various iterations, usually consists of meat (ox tail, tripe, pork, goat, and/or chicken) and veggies like eggplant, sitaw (long beans), garlic, onion, pechay/bok choy, and puso ng saging (banana blossoms). Peanut butter or peanut puree is added, along with annatto water, green chili peppers, and crushed peanuts at times.

Kare-kare is typically eaten with bagoong (shrimp paste) as a condiment and with steamed white rice. Some households even substitute the meat with seafood or with tofu for a vegetarian version.

Taste Atlas’ food critics noted that you can get “the best-kare-kare in the world” in Serye, The Aristocrat, Binulo, Romulo Cafe, Cafe Juanita, Barrio Fiesta, Gerarda’s, Tres Cuisine, Mateo’s, Anix’s House, Victorino’s, Pamana, and Misto.

The food website said that kare-kare is traditionally cooked in a clay pot known as a palayok, and that the “vessel also acts as a serving bowl once the dish is properly cooked.” The Filipino fiesta favorite is believed to have origins in the Pampanga region, while others believe that the dish is derived from the Indian word curry, and that it was introduced to the Philippines by Indians from Rizal province. 

Our readers recently hailed kare-kare as their top unsung Filipino dish that they believe deserves more recognition globally, aside from siniang, adobo, and sisig.

In July, Taste Atlas lauded bibingka as the 13th Best Cake in the World. Sinigang was also named the 7th Best Soup in the World and tortang talong was scored as the Best-Rated Egg Dish in the World. Other Pinoy delicacies like lechon and lugaw have also been recognized by the website. 

Taste Atlas is an online gastronomic database that promotes the local culinary culture of countries all over the world. The website contains over 10,000 specialty dishes, drinks, recommended restaurants, and local ingredients for anyone to check out before an international trip. – Rappler.com