Sinangag

Sinangág, or garlic fried rice, is a cherished Filipino dish made by stir-frying pre-cooked rice with abundant garlic. The ideal rice for this recipe is often day-old or leftover, as its slightly fermented and firmer texture is perfect for achieving the desired consistency. The seasoning is straightforward yet flavorful: toasted garlic, rock salt, black pepper, and occasionally scallions. The objective is to ensure each grain of rice is distinct and not clumped together.

This garlic fried rice is typically served with "dry" meat dishes like tocino (sweet cured pork), longganisa (Filipino sausage), tapa (cured beef), or even Spam. It also pairs excellently with daing (dried fish) and eggs. Unlike other types of fried rice, sinangág usually keeps the seasoning minimal to allow the main dish to take center stage. In the Visayas region of the Philippines, it is traditionally seasoned with asín tibuok, a type of artisanal sea salt.

Sinangág is a breakfast staple in the Philippines, often made using leftover rice from dinner. On occasion, it’s even cooked in residual sauces and oils from dishes like adobo to ensure nothing goes to waste. Freshly cooked rice is typically avoided for making sinangág because it tends to be too moist.

You’ll commonly find sinangág as a component of the classic Filipino breakfast known as tapsilog, which includes tapa, sinangág, and itlog (egg). There are many variations of this breakfast, but sinangág remains a perennial favorite.