Filipino adobo is a very popular Filipino dish in the Philippines and in other countries. But what you might be wondering is if sugar is one of the ingredients used in cooking adobo.
In some cases, sugar is used to season adobo. This is done in order to balance out the salty and sour flavor of soy sauce and vinegar. Some people use sugar to season adobo in place of MSG. However, in most cases, sugar is an optional ingredient in cooking adobo.
Curious for more? Keep reading.
Does Adobo Have Sugar?
Sometimes. while you technically can make your own version and add sugar to all types of adobo, in practice, only pork and chicken adobo are cooked with sugar.
Adobo is a type of Filipino cooking that typically involves meat or seafood that is cooked in a vinegar and soy sauce mixture. Sometimes, sugar is added to the mixture, which can give the dish a sweet and savory flavor. While you technically can make your own version of adobo and add sugar to all types of adobo, in practice, only pork and chicken adobo are cooked with sugar.
The sweetness helps to offset the acidity of the vinegar and soy sauce, creating a more well-rounded flavor profile. Some people use sugar to season adobo in place of monosodium glutamate, or MSG. If you’re looking for a sugar-free version of adobo, squid or kangkong adobo are typically made without any added sweeteners.
Adding sugar in adobo does not affect the length of time that it can be stored in the fridge or the freezer. This guideline of how long you can store adobo in room temperature, fridge or freezer still applies whether or not you use sugar.
Types Of Sugar Used:
The two different types of sugar used for adobo are white sugar and brown sugar. In this section I will talk about both types of sugar.
White Sugar
Adobo is a popular dish in many parts of the world, and there are countless variations on the recipe. However, one common ingredient in adobo is white sugar. While highly processed, white sugar can help to balance the flavors in adobo and make it more palatable. Some people choose not to use white sugar in their adobo because they believe it is not very healthy.
However, a small amount of white sugar is not likely to have a significant impact on your health. If you are concerned about your sugar intake, you can always reduce the amount of sugar called for in the recipe.
Brown Sugar
Brown sugar is often seen as a healthier option to add to adobo. Unlike white sugar, brown sugar contains molasses, which adds a nutritional boost of vitamins and minerals. In addition, the molasses in brown sugar can help to add flavor and depth to adobo. The color of brown sugar can also help to give adobo a more appetizing appearance.
However, it is important to note that brown sugar is still high in calories and should be used sparingly. When used in moderation, brown sugar can be a delicious and healthy way to add flavor and nutrition to adobo.
How to add sugar in adobo
Adding sugar to adobo is a fairly simple process. You can add adobo to the pot alongside the onion, garlic and peppercorn. Continue cooking your adobo as per usual.
Note that when you are finished cooing your adobo, it should not taste sweet at all, it should just have a hint of sweetness that’s barely noticeable.
Usually, if you are using a recipe that serves 4 people, you can use about a teaspoon of sugar in adobo. The table below is a guide on how many teaspoons of sugar should be added to the adobo you’re making:
| # Of Adobo Servings | Amount of Sugar in Teaspoons |
| 1 | 1/6 teaspoon |
| 2 | 1/3 teaspoon |
| 4 | 2/3 teaspoon |
| 6 | 1 teaspoon |
| 8 | 1 1/3 teaspoons |
Although the table above could be used as a guide on how much sugar you can add to adobo, it should be noted that you can adjust it to taste, and it’s not a hard and fast rule that you should use these exact amounts when cooking your adobo. As usual, use your best judgement when adding this ingredient in seasoning your adobo.
Adobo Variations With Sugar:
In this section, we will talk about adobo variations that typically have sugar added to them.
Pork Adobo
Pork adobo is a Filipino dish that typically consists of pork, vinegar, soy sauce, and garlic. One of the most distinctive features of pork adobo is that sometimes, sugar is added to the dish. There are two primary reasons for this.
First, sugar helps to balance out the acidity of the vinegar. Second, it helps to give the dish a slightly sweet flavor that offsets the savory taste of the other ingredients.
As a result, sugar is sometimes added as an ingredient in pork adobo and helps to give the dish its unique flavor profile.
Chicken Adobo
Chicken adobo is a popular dish in the Philippines that is made by stewing chicken in vinegar, soy sauce, and garlic. One of the key ingredients in chicken adobo is sugar. Sugar helps to balance out the acidity of the vinegar and the saltiness of the soy sauce, creating a more well-rounded flavor.
In addition, sugar helps to tenderize the chicken, making it more moist and juicy. While chicken adobo is traditionally made with white sugar, you can also use brown sugar or honey for a slightly different flavor profile. No matter which type of sugar you use, it will help to create a delicious and authentic chicken adobo dish.
Adobo Variations Without Sugar:
Although it is technically possible to cook any types of adobo with sugar, these the adobo variations that typically do not make use of sugar when cooked.
Squid Adobo
Squid adobo is popular amongst Filipinos and is also very delicious. For the most part, squid adobo is made without sugar, although it is definitely possible to cook it with sugar. I asked my mother who is seasoned in cooking Filipino food why that is, and she simply said that the taste profile of squid does not taste good with sugar.
What do you think? Do you agree or disagree? Let us know in the comments below.
Kangkong & Sitaw Adobo
One of the most common types of vegetable adobo are kangkong and sitaw adobo. These two dishes, in general, also do not usually have sugar as one of the ingredients.
Now, if you ask people as to why this is the case, you might notice that there are many different opinions. Personally, I think using sugar in the dishes takes away from the flavor of the dish, especially when using vegetables, which have a stark, savory, slightly bittery taste.
Curious about the history of adobo? Click here to read all about Adobo and its history.