Filipino-Canadian actor Manny Jacinto joined Erwan Heussaff in preparing a sinigang dish for the latest episode of FEATR’s Kitchen Conversations.
"We heard that one of your favorite dishes is sinigang. Sinigang is kind of like the 'freaky Friday' of Filipino dishes. Depending on where you grew up or depending on what province you're from, what you're using to make the dish sour is very different," Erwan told Manny.
For this recipe, Erwan used santol or cotton fruit to give the dish its signature tang. "In August, santol is in season," he relayed as he prepared a short rib sinigang with the fruit.
During their conversation, Erwan asked Manny if he ever felt that his food was different when his mom would send him to school.
Manny replied: "I never got to bring like sinigang or adobo to school because I think they were very much aware that it was different. But then I was able to look forward coming home from school because you know a Filipino meal was ready," he shared.
The actor also expressed admiration for Filipino restaurants and chefs showcasing local flavors. "There's a lot of Filipino restaurants, people within our generation that are trying to bring these flavors to the table and it's incredible seeing them succeed," he stated.
During the taste test, Manny was impressed by Erwan’s twist on the classic dish. "That's great... I've never had sinigang like this before. I think because of the tomato or the red sauce. It's almost like caldereta. It's like if they formed the perfect baby, this would be it."
Manny recently visited the Philippines for the promotional tour of Freakier Friday.
"I just love being back home to the Philippines and getting to promote the film 'cause I’ve never been able to come to the Philippines to promote anything,” Manny remarked on visiting the Philippines in an interview with ABS-CBN News.
The actor remarked that connecting to his roots is a special moment for him. "To connect back to the roots and everything, just to spread love to the Filipino fans. To always touch base, to connect to the community back here 'cause it means a lot to me," he said.