What is your comfort food?
Whenever I Miss Home, I Cook Tinola
In 2007, I met my Khmer husband in the mission field (Kratie, Cambodia). As you all know I came from the Philippines 😁😍😅 whenever I miss home, I would cook Tinola chicken soup!
Cambodia is a country with its own rich culture and traditions. I love that some dishes and ingredients are familiar to me and often brings me back to the warmth of my home in the Philippines. Now that I am a wife, I have embraced this new land (the kingdom of wonders as they say) with my Khmer husband and son as we build our lives and our faith in this country. Yet, whenever I feel the longing for the Philippines, for the familiar embrace of my homeland, I turn to the comforting ritual of cooking "tinola" (hearty chicken soup!). I praise God for this season of discovering skills. I am still learning how to cook, it is Vandy who has better cooking skills at home. In fact, my husband could actually whip a few filipino dishes better than me now. His pork sinigang and adobo are the bombs!
Tinola is more than just a dish for me; it's a taste of home, a bowl of memories. Growing up in the Philippines, tinola was a staple in our household, especially during the rainy season when classes would be cancelled due floodings brought about by strong typhoons. All of us three siblings would be staying indoors that would last for days (not kidding!). Mama would always make sure we had a steaming pot of "tinola" ready, its aroma filling the entire house, blending with the sound of rain tapping on the roof.
My Own version of Tinola
The tinola I cook here in Cambodia is special (well, for our home! my son approved of it!), not just because it reminds me of home, but because of the ingredients I use. In our front yard, we’ve managed to grow malunggay tree (moringa). My own version has already had a tweaked haha! I add lemongrass, because we always have a lot here in Cambodia plus it adds much aroma in the tinola soup. Also, we used organic chicken (rooster actually!) I know you might be thinking rooster's meat is tough and I would agree haha! that's why we have to use pressure cooker to tenderize the meat.
Whenever I cooked tinola, I would always think back to those rainy days of my childhood. I remember the way my mother moved around the kitchen with such grace, effortlessly turning simple ingredients into a comforting meal. My siblings (Ruth & Jr) and I would gather around the table, laughing, bickering, sharing stories, and savoring every spoonful. Unfortunately, most of the time Papa would be staying in the office and wouldn't be coming home because of the flood as well - roads/streets were unpassable 😢. Both my parents came from the northern part of the Philippines. Native Ilocanos have their own ways of cooking tinola dish. The ingredients would also vary according to the available home-grown plants and veggies around the house, and of course all organic!
Cooking tinola here in Cambodia is my way of staying connected to the Philippines, of holding on to the happy memories of my childhood. It’s a tradition (atleast of the taste!) I want to pass on to David, so that even though he’s growing up far from where I did, he can still have a taste of his heritage. And whenever the rain begins to fall in Cambodia, as it often does, I know exactly what to do—prepare a pot of tinola, and let the memories flood back, bringing warmth to our home and hearts.
I do want to acknowledge Sir Vanjo of Panlasang Pinoy for the resources I learned from this website (Pinoy Cooking 101). This time around, I would love to share my own version of cooking Tinola soup. Here’s an easy four-step:
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