Palapa
Also known as Maranao palapa, palapa condiment
Table condiment
Quick answer
The signature condiment of the Maranao of Lanao in Mindanao: a native scallion called sakurab, ginger, chilli, turmeric and toasted grated coconut, pounded and often fried. Eaten with rice at almost every meal and cooked into dishes such as chicken piaparan.
In essentially every version: Sakurab (sibujing), the native Lanao scallion, Ginger, Siling labuyo, Toasted grated coconut, Turmeric, Salt.
2 distinct versions are set out below. None of them is presented as the correct one, because there isn’t one.
What goes in it
The defining core first, then the versions, with what each ingredient is there to do.
| Ingredient | Role | How essential |
|---|---|---|
| Spring onionA local allium with a sharper, more garlicky bite than common spring onion, and the ingredient that makes palapa Maranao. Ordinary spring onion or shallot is the usual stand-in outside Lanao. | base | defining |
| Ginger (fresh) | primary aromatic | defining |
| Bird's eye chilli (fresh) | heat | defining |
| Coconut | savoury depth | usual |
| Turmeric | colour | usual |
| Salt | salt | defining |
| Garlic | savoury depth | optional |
Two forms are distinguished: a dry palapa, in which the pounded scallion, ginger and chilli are fried with toasted coconut until crumbly and keep for weeks, and a fresh or wet one made with less cooking or with coconut milk, eaten within days. Households differ on the heat and the coconut.
The versions
Each attributed to whoever describes it. The sources say what goes in and how it is made and give no amounts, so none are shown.
Dry palapa
Regional traditionMaranao household practice · no amounts given · medium confidence
Sakurab, ginger and chilli pounded, then fried slowly with toasted grated coconut and turmeric until dry and crumbly. The keeping form, stored in jars and spooned onto rice.
Made with: Sakurab, Ginger, Siling labuyo, Toasted grated coconut, Turmeric. The source gives no amounts, so none are shown.
Fresh palapa
Household traditionMaranao household practice · no amounts given · medium confidence
Sakurab, ginger and chilli pounded with salt and eaten fresh or lightly cooked, sometimes with coconut milk; sharper and greener than the dry form, and short-lived.
Made with: Sakurab, Ginger, Siling labuyo, Salt. The source gives no amounts, so none are shown.
Using it
Spooned onto rice at the table, a little at a time, or cooked into dishes as their seasoning — chicken or fish piaparan is braised with palapa and coconut.
Sharp, pungent and hot from the scallion, ginger and chilli, rounded by the nutty sweetness of toasted coconut; the dry form is toasty and crumbly.
Hot.
- Plain rice
- Chicken piaparan
- Grilled fish
Scaling: Scales freely; the frying of the dry form needs a wide pan and patience.
What to use it on
Rice
ClassicPalapa is first of all a condiment for plain rice, spooned on at every Maranao meal.
Chicken
ClassicChicken piaparan, the Maranao braise of chicken in coconut milk seasoned with palapa, is the dish palapa is cooked into; the scallion, ginger and chilli season the coconut.
How: Chicken piaparan
Storage
Good for: not established
Dry palapa in a sealed jar, in the fridge once opened; fresh palapa in the fridge and used within days.
Rancid coconut is a quality matter; mould, or a fresh paste kept warm, is a safety one.
Allergens and safety
Not among the substances that must be declared as allergens under EU Regulation 1169/2011 Annex II or under the United States major food allergen rules. That is a statement about labelling law and not about whether allergy occurs: allergic reactions to spices are documented in the clinical literature and are simply not a labelling category. Where a ground spice presents an allergen risk it is usually through adulteration or shared processing equipment rather than through the plant itself.
Culture and origin
The Maranao of Lanao del Sur and Lanao del Norte in Mindanao, where it is the best-known food of the cuisine; the Maguindanao of Cotabato make related versions.
The Maranao of Lanao
Among the Maranao of Lanao, the Philippines.
The food most associated with Maranao cooking and the one visitors seek out; a jar of palapa sits on the table at nearly every meal, and its native scallion is grown in the Lanao highlands.