Cooking is simply defined as the preparation of food, typically using heat. In a biochemical process called denaturing, high temperatures from various methods such as grilling, braising or steaming alter proteins in meat and seafood, making them firmer (as with egg whites) or breaking down tissue to make them more tender (as with tough cuts like shanks). But heat is not the only way of achieving this denaturation.
Call it ‘chemical cooking’: acids can do the same job and there are many kinds of acidic agents easily found in the kitchen pantry, like citric acid from lemon and lime juices; acetic acid in vinegars; and tartaric and malic acids in wine. All of these are commonly used in marinades and brines in conjunction with heat-based preparation, not only to add flavor to food, but also to reduce cooking time by jumpstarting the protein breakdown process. However, many cuisines have traditional recipes that skip the last part altogether=and rely solely on acids to make the dish palatable.
Perhaps the best known of these is ceviche, the South American dish of raw seafood marinated in citrus, with regional variations in fish or shellfish, types of citrus, and other ingredients such as chilies, onions and tomatoes. Although Peru is generally accepted as the place of origin for modern ceviche, other theories trace its ancient roots across the ocean to the Pacific Islands, where similar raw marinated foods are quite common. Known by various names, like poisson cru in French Polynesia and ota ika in Samoa, Tahiti and Tonga, they are also prepared with citrus juice, but with the addition of coconut milk.
Kinilaw: Vinegar-cooked Seafood
These recipes are the likely precursors to the Philippines’ own iteration called kinilaw [key-knee-lawuh]. Despite some assumptions that it is simply ceviche brought over by Spanish colonizers, there is archaeological evidence that pre-Hispanic Filipinos were eating kinilaw nearly 700 years before any European influence. And although it is essentially the same idea – preparing raw protein with an acid rather than heat - there is a marked difference in our dish from the South American and Polynesian versions: Instead of citrus juice, it utilizes vinegar.
The sharp taste of vinegar can be refreshing on the palate, especially when tempered with subtly sweet coconut cream and enlivened by ginger and chilies. The following recipe is courtesy of Ernesto ‘Nonoy’ Rodriguez, who offers just-caught seafood and locally raised meats at the Salcedo Saturday Market in Makati City. His recipe is typical of the Visayas region in central Philippines and uses as its main ingredient sinamak, a regional specialty of coconut vinegar, chilies, ginger and garlic. The seafood of choice is large white shrimp or tanguigue (Spanish mackerel). As is usually the case with oft-made dishes prepared by heart, Nonoy’s recipe was not exact with amounts and so may be adjusted according to taste.
