Kinilaw is the Filipino version of the Peruvian Ceviche

Best served at lunch as appetizer or side dish while fresh.

Kinilaw or kilaw (kee-nee-lahw; kee-lahw) has all the hallmarks of quintessential Filipino palate: mostly tangy and tart to downright sour, contrasted by notes of sweetness melding with some saltiness or bitterness, then ending with lingering heat of black peppers and chilies. After all, the white vinegar is the centerpiece of Filipino kitchen. It is the melding of bright vinegar (suka) and seemingly basic condiments that introduced the poster child of Filipino cuisine to the world: the classic Filipino Adobo. The story of Filipinos’ affinity for acidity of vinegar goes way back and the history of Kinilaw is a huge part of it.

Nobody knows the exact origin of kinilaw other than archaeological evidence that it predated Spanish occupation of the archipelago. This discovery discredits common assumption that Filipinos inherited the dish from Peru, which claims that its national dish was brought to other Spanish colonies. Other evidence that suggests local origin is that kinilaw has been part of indigenous peoples’ diet in the highlands who were untouched by Spanish culture. Mentions of the dish in historical records published almost a century after first Spanish arrival also tell us that it was called differently in many regions but the method for making one hasn’t significantly changed until today.

Although almost identical to kinilaw in preparation, ceviche uses the juices of citrus fruits that Spaniards brought to South America to “cook” the fish meat in acid. The more iconic Peruvian-style preparation of ceviche bathes raw fish meat in lemon or lime juice for about 15 minutes and garnishes the dish with salt, red onion, and chili peppers. Ceviche is traditionally piled on top of vegetables or served on the side with corn, yams, sweet potato, or plantain. The Filipino-style method uses vinegar instead that denatures the pinkish flesh and turns the fresh seafood into opaque white cuts of fish meat ready to be served.

Aside from seafood, varieties of kinilaw/kilaw uses different protein source that reflect regional taste. For example, Ilocano kilawin uses goat, beef, or pork that is boiled and grilled first before soaking the meat into a marinade of vinegar and bile. Visayas region is teeming with crabs, clams, shrimp, oyster, clams, and other seafood that can substitute fish. As for the vinegar, many regions have their own proud concoction of vinegar that can be used to sour the dish. Few examples are sukang paombong (nipa palm vinegar) of Bulacan, sukang maasim (natural cane vinegar) commonly used for cooking and dipping sauce, sukang tuba made of coconut tree sap, sinamak or spiced vinegar of Negros (island region in the central part of the Philippines), and sukang Iloko/Iloco (sugarcane vinegar) of Ilocos.

Usually eaten raw as appetizer or side dish for lunch, kinilaw can be made right away as long as you have the freshest fish meat within arm’s reach. There is no one true recipe for kinilaw since this dish can use any meat or seafood and doesn’t require to be cooked by heat. According to Yummy.ph, the technique involves combining the basic ingredients for kinilaw and tasting the mix as you go to get the balanced melding of sour, salty, spicy, and bitter. You can use a combination of calamansi juice and vinegar as sour agent. For the seafood, you can use tuna, salmon, shrimp, or tanigue (Pacific mackerel), washed and dried, and cut into 1-inch cubes. To spice it up, toss in minced ginger, red onion, fresh ground pepper, and slices of green chili or Thai chili.

Photo from Foxy Folksy