Sinigang na Baboy
Philippines (Tagalog region; pan-archipelago variations with different souring agents)
Sinigang na baboy is the Philippines' most beloved sour soup — pork ribs or belly in a tamarind-based broth with kangkong (water spinach), long green beans, radish, eggplant, tomato, and onion, seasoned with fish sauce and seasoned with the characteristic souring agents that vary by region: tamarind (sampalok) in Tagalog regions, guava in Bicol, kamias (bilimbi) in Visayas. The sour broth is not a background note — it is the dominant flavour profile, and the sinigang should be bracingly, unapologetically sour. The pork provides richness against the acid; the kangkong and vegetables soften in the hot broth but must retain slight colour; the fish sauce provides depth without fishiness. Sinigang is comfort food of the highest order in the Philippines.