What's the Doodle today? Here's why Google is honouring the ...

It’s sweet, it’s garlicky, it’s vinegary — it’s delicious. And Google is celebrating this classic Filipino meal with its very own doodle.

The internet search giant is honouring one of the greatest — though possibly one of the most under appreciated — home comfort meals on its home page Wednesday: Filipino adobo. Typically made with chicken, this beautiful concoction of flavours is a staple among Filipino families at home and abroad, especially in the GTA where there is a significant population of Filipino diaspora.

It’s also often regarded as the national dish of the Philippines and is a strong symbol of Pinoy pride.

It’s simple but so distinct in how it tastes. And ask any Filipino person and they’ll say their mother or lola makes the best version. (Side note: I’m half Filipino myself, and despite following the very simple recipe my mother has given me, nothing I ever do will be as good as the one she makes.)

So why is Google honouring the dish?

According to Google’s Doodle page, the search engine chose today to honour the widely loved meal because of its inclusion in the Oxford English Dictionary on this date in 2007. The word “adobo” was originally added to the dictionary in December 2006, and on March 15, 2007 it was included on the word list of the dictionary’s next quarterly update.

The doodle on the homepage was illustrated by artist Anthony Irwin, who wrote about how his relationship with his immigrant family’s food can be complex, especially as a child who wanted to fit in North America culture.

“Growing up in the U.S., I didn’t want my food to be special,” Irwin writes. “Now as an adult, I get to find all of these opportunities to be proud in ways childhood didn’t let me feel proud.

“I can claim Filipino food as a part of my culture and celebrate the connection it creates between my mother’s identity and my own.”

What is adobo?

There’s an endless list of varieties of adobo, but at the bare minimum they all share the same basic ingredients: meat or seafood (typically chicken or pork) braised/cooked in a combination of soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, sugar, bay leaves and whole peppercorns. The meal is then served with a heaping of freshly cooked rice or garlic fried rice.

The name “adobo,” which means “to marinade” in Spanish, comes from the colonizers of the Philippines during the 16th century who observed the Indigenous populations preparing and cooking the meal. While Spanish and Mexican cultures have their own types of “adobo,” this version in particular has a distinct and recognizable taste that can only be traced back to the Philippines.

Where can I get adobo?

There are a number of great Filipino restaurants in Toronto and across the GTA that you can go to order or take home adobo, or any of the many tasty meals of Filipino cuisine. In 2021, the Star scoped out some of the many offerings in “Little Manila,” which you can check out here.

Some other Toronto options include:

If you live west of Toronto, Somethin’ Sweet 4 U has three locations in Mississauga, plus there’s Seafood City near Mavis Road and Hwy. 401, a massive Filipino grocery store with its own food court. We definitely missed something, so feel free to drop your suggestions in the comment field below.

And if you haven’t tried adobo yet, do yourself a favour and do it this week. Or tomorrow. Or now, just go now.