Laing (food)

Laing, meaning "dried or withered [leaves]" in Tagalog,[1] is the name of the dish in most parts of the Philippines. However, in the Bicol region, where it originates from, it is simply called pinangat. This name can be confused with pinangat na isda, which is a different dish made with fish cooked in a slightly sour broth similar to sinigang.[2][3][4] The confusion stems from the original meaning of the verb pangat in the languages of Southern Luzon, which simply means to cook fish or meat in a broth of water and salt.[5][6]

Laing is typical of Bicolano cuisine, which is known for their common use of chilis and coconut milk.[7] Laing is also known as ginataang laing, pinangat na laing, pinangat na gabi and ginat-ang gabi, among other names.[8]

Inulukan, a variant that uses river crabs wrapped in whole taro leaves and cooked in coconut milk

Tinumok, a variant of laing that uses a mixture of shrimp and fish flakes with grated coconut

The original laing from the Bicol Region does not use shredded taro leaves, but rather a whole fresh taro leaf (natong in Bicolano). This version is the one most commonly referred to as pinangat. The mixture usually consists of cubed pre-cooked pork, shrimp, or fish flakes (or all three) with bagoong alamang (shrimp paste), crushed labuyo chili, garlic, shallots, ginger, and kakang gata (coconut cream). It is wrapped with the leaf and tied with a coconut leaf midrib or twine. It is then steamed in gata (coconut milk) with a knot of tanglad (lemongrass) until the leaf pouches are fork tender and the coconut milk is reduced to a thick sauce.[8][9]

For the laing version served in Manila and elsewhere, it is cooked similarly, but with the leaves shredded (usually sold dried, hence the name). It also usually includes chopped leaf stalks.[10] Laing is usually eaten with white rice, but it can also be eaten sandwiched in bread like pandesal or used as a stuffing for other dishes. It is also commonly eaten as a side dish to meat.[11][12]

The taro leaves to be used for laing must be prepared correctly, as they contain amounts of calcium oxalate crystals (raphides) that can sometimes cause itching and burning sensations in the mouth. They are usually washed and cooked thoroughly to avoid this. Drying can also lessen the amount of crystals.[3][7]

Notable variants of laing include:

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• Sarsa na uyang
• Ginataan
• Binalot
• Piaparan
• Paksiw
• Cuisine of the Philippines
• Callaloo, a similar native dish from the Caribbean
• Lūʻau (food), similar native dishes from Polynesia