Before cooking tapa, the meat is cured or dried and cut into small portions, thick or thin slices. As a method of preservation, salt and spices are added. After preparation, the meat can be cooked either grilled or fried. Just like any other
ulam (main dish) in
Filipino cuisine, tapa is usually paired with
rice. It can be garlic rice, java rice, plain rice or any other type of preparation. As a side dish, tapa sometimes comes with
atchara (pickled papaya strips) or sliced vegetables (usually tomatoes). Vinegar (oftentimes with
siling labuyo) or banana ketchup is usually used as a condiment.
Tapsilog , a traditional Filipino breakfast combination with tapa
, sinangag'' (garlic fried rice), and an egg omelet
Tapsilog is the term used when
tapa, garlic-
fried rice (
sinangag), and fried
egg (
itlog) are combined into one meal, which is served primarily during
breakfast. In
Tagalog, a
restaurant that primarily serves
tapa is called a
tapahan,
tapsihan or
tapsilugan. “Tapsilog” is a contraction of tapa + sinangag + itlog, and “tapsihan” generally refers to a place where one can get tapsilog. While these terms may have originated as slang, they are now widely recognized and understood—especially in
Metro Manila — and are commonly used by restaurants and Filipinos from all social strata.
Restaurants Small restaurants called
tapsihan (or
tapsilogan) in many
barangays in the Philippines serve
tapsilog along with some of its variants (see
silog). However, large
business establishment chains in the Philippines, particularly some
fast food chains and even most hotels, have already ventured into the selling of
tapa and the
tapsilog due to the popularity of this type of cuisine, including the
tapsilog and its variants on their breakfast menus. == See also ==