Traditional Wood Fire Cooking #5: Tinolang Manok

This video is all about the Filipino way of home cooking specifically the Ilocano way of cooking using a wood fire on a clay stove. In this edition, I will be showcasing how I cook "Tinolang Manok" one of the most famous and tastiest dishes here in our country. Back in the day, in the 1980s and earlier Tinola is not a common dish, it was most of the time cooked and served on Christmas eve. But now, cooking Tinola has become normal. You can see it almost in every restaurant that you are going to visit.

My first memory of the "name" of this dish was when I first traveled to Antipolo City together with my eldest brother. I already knew this dish but I haven't heard or remembered its name until that travel. It is ironic to have known and eaten the dish for more than five years before I get to know its name. My family used to cook it but I never remember them mentioning the name of the dish.

We Ilocanos use native chicken and vegetables are added like Papaya and Moringa leaves. If Papaya and Moringa are not available Chayote can be used as a substitute for Papaya, and Green Pepper Leaves can be used as a substitute for Moringa. Both are equally tasty but nothing beats the nutrition that you can get from Moringa leaves (Moringa is considered a "Super Food"). In the absence of vegetables you can cook Tinola without any vegetables just make sure to complete all the spices such as onion (red is the best), garlic, and ginger).

That is all for now guys, catch you up with the next one. Wishing you all safety, good health, and abundance.