Hold the violent reactions, the Department of Trade and Industry said its efforts to come up with a "standard" cooking technique for adobo is aimed at exporting the distinctly Filipino meat stew and not an attack on heirloom recipes.
There's "nothing to worry about," the DTI said after its announcement riled social media over the weekend. The clarification was typed in all caps.
"THE ATTEMPT IS TO DEFINE WHAT WE WILL PROMOTE INTERNATIONALLY and NOT REDEFINING WHAT ADOBO IS TO DIFFERENT PEOPLE NOW. To many Filipinos, the best adobo is the one 'cooked at home' or 'cooked by their parents or lola'."
Crafting a standard recipe for the Pinoy-favorite dish will help define the "traditional" recipe and avoid mixing it up with other dishes like paksiw, humba, or afritada, the DTI said.
Over the weekend, Filipinos on Twitter called out the proposal, saying there's no need to standardize the recipe for adobo when there are other more pressing national issues.
"The real standard of adobo is love," radio and TV host Gang Badoy Capati said.
"We are using an old family recipe which may not be sanctioned by DTI. Is there Such a thing as EJA? Extra Judicial Adobo?" said veteran musician Jim Paredes.
"The next thing you know they’ll be appointing a czar/czarina for adobo, sisig, sinigang, and lechon standards," former Supreme Court spokesperson Theodore Te said.
Other comments read:
"'Wag na mag-board exam ang professionals pero i-standardize ang adobo at sinigang. The times we live in."
"I will never let any chef or politician dictates how my grandmother likes to cook her adobo."
"We can have standards for adobo pero walang standards sa politicians at sa gobyerno?"
