I've BEAN around the World: Caldereta

Marj Dumont

Toulouse, FR

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Caldereta is a super spicy goat stew from the Philippines. Some replace the goat meat with beef or chicken, or add cheese and wine. It's a flexible recipe, just like Filipinos! I really miss Filipino food because I've been away from home so long. I love that the ingredients of this recipe are easy to find anywhere, so when I feel homesick I can whip it up easily and taste the heat of the islands. What makes this different from our other tomato-based stews? Aside from the goat meat, it's the chilies and garbanzo beans. It's a fancy dish usually served at fiestas. On the left side of the illustration is "caldereta" in the native script of the Philippines called baybayin. It is a style of writing that was almost lost but rediscovered and enjoying a resurgence among scholars and hobbyists. I hope someday our ancient writing will be just as ubiquitous as the ingredients for caldereta!