Key Points
- Lugaw is the traditional Filipino rice porridge.
- As a dish, lugaw has one of the longest documented histories in the Philippines, dating back to 1613.
- Because of their close similarities, people often confuse lugaw, congee, goto and arroz caldo with each other. Here’s how to distinguish them.
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Kwentong Palayok: Lugaw is love
SBS Filipino
30/08/202416:03
Lugaw, the Filipino rice porridge, is one of the earliest historically documented dishes in the Philippines.
According to the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), friar and historian Fr. Pedro de San Buenaventura noted down “logao as rice mixed with milk or water or of broth” in 1613.
With a history that goes back a thousand years, it is no wonder lugaw has evolved into many names and forms, which can sometimes be confusing.
Start with the basic: lugaw
“Lugaw is the basic dish, the mother of all kinds of rice porridge in the Philippines,” Lyngel San Luis, business owner of Lugaw Queen, Sydney, said.
Lugaw is the umbrella term for all kinds of rice porridge out there.
Lugaw, in essence, is plain rice cooked with water until thickened, then flavoured with patis (fish sauce), ginger, toasted garlic, and spring onions.
Sometimes, lugaw comes with egg or fried tokwa (tofu), but it is rice porridge at its most simple and basic.
Congee: Chinese roots
Congee, on the other hand, is the name used to refer to Chinese rice porridge. Hence, lugaw is equivalent to congee.
"Rice porridge or congee is a staple in many Asian countries, and despite countless variations, they all consist of rice slowly cooked in water or broth to give the soupy meal a distinctly soft and creamy texture,” writes Myke Tatung Sarthou, a Filipino chef, author, and restaurateur in his book Rice to the Occasion.
Interestingly, it’s believed that lugaw has its roots in congee, as the dish was likely introduced to the Philippines by the Chinese.
Interestingly, it’s believed that lugaw has its roots in congee, as the dish was likely introduced to the Philippines by the Chinese. Credit: prathanchorruangsak/Envato
Since Filipinos had their own indigenous ingredients, they adopted the congee to suit their tastes, paving the way to the distinct Filipino lugaw.
These days, most people generally equate congee with Chinese-style rice porridge instead of lugaw. There are many varieties, but if you order a bowl in a Chinese restaurant, congee typically has less thick rice gruel and is filled with toppings like century egg, quail eggs, shredded meat or seafood, mushrooms, and wanton chips (it can go from bare to many toppings)
Lugaw, on the other hand, will be topped with garlic, spring onions, and chicharon bits.
Arroz caldo and its Spanish roots
Beyond its Chinese origins, lugaw also carries Spanish influences.
When the Spanish colonisers came, they renamed the Filipino logao as arroz caldo, which literally means rice broth in Spanish.
As they occupied the Philippines, the Spaniards became fond of lugaw, and started infusing ingredients more familiar with them, such as adding a pinch of saffron giving lugaw a yellow hue, and using chicken as the main meat.
Kasubha, our locally known safflower, is now typically used for infusing into the arroz caldo.
Over time, arroz caldo became equivalent to Filipino lugaw colored with kasubha and made with chicken.
Lugaw with Oxtripe
On the other hand, goto has a very straightforward definition. It is a kind of lugaw made with beef ox tripe (also known as tuwalya) and other innards.
Goto with towa't baboy Credit: Alina R. Co
Warm and comforting
According to Tatung in the book Rice to the Occasion, congee was well-loved by the Chinese for “its healing qualities, as well as providing the {Spanish} with nourishment while they adapted to the Philippine tropical weather.”
Lugaw is a cure-all, a soothing dish that brings comfort in times of illness and a warm embrace during cooler days.
Thousands of years and countless bowls served later, the symbolism of rice porridge has remained the same for Filipinos.
A symbol of love and comfort for anyone who needs a rice porridge to feel better or brighten up their day.
Day or night, whether it’s lugaw, goto, congee, or arroz caldo, Filipinos will always have a hot bowl ready to share, bringing comfort and warmth to every table.
