Kare-Kare

Kare-kare is the Philippines' most distinctively flavoured stew — oxtail, tripe, and banana blossom braised in a rich peanut sauce thickened with toasted rice and ground annatto (achuete), served with a separate side of bagoong alamang (fermented shrimp paste) that is added individually at the table. The peanut sauce is made from ground toasted peanuts (not peanut butter) combined with annatto-coloured stock, and it should be deeply golden, nutty, and rich without sweetness. The bagoong is not optional — it provides the salt and fermented depth that the unseasoned peanut sauce requires. The combination of the mild, nutty sauce with the pungent, salty bagoong creates a flavour dialogue that neither element could achieve alone.

Kapampangan and Tagalog regions, Philippines (possibly pre-colonial origin)

The bagoong is the essential seasoning device at the table; white rice absorbs both the peanut sauce and the bagoong; the combination is one of the Philippines' most considered flavour pairings — neutral, rich stew plus pungent, salty ferment.

The peanut base must be from freshly toasted and ground peanuts, not peanut butter: the texture and flavour of freshly ground toasted nuts cannot be replicated. Toasted rice is the secondary thickener: ground toasted rice provides a starchy body and a slightly nutty backdrop. Annatto provides colour (not flavour): bloom the annatto in oil, then discard the seeds — only the colour-infused oil enters the sauce. The sauce is intentionally mild: all seasoning comes from the bagoong added individually — the sauce itself is not salty. Bagoong alamang (fermented tiny shrimp) must be sautéed with garlic before serving: raw bagoong is too pungent.