Datu Puti is considered one of the
Philippines’ most popular vinegar brands,
thanks to advertising strategies that
capitalized on its superior tartness. There’s
no way of knowing, though, if the brand
name was inspired by one of the datus in
Pedro Alcantara Monteclaro’s Maragtas
epic.) Datu Puti is best enjoyed as a dip for
grilled or roasted meat, dried or fried fish,
and chicharon.
Patis or fish sauce (which is extracted from
fermented fish) is the universal condiment to
the Filipino meal. Patis is the favorite
sawsawan for fried fish and flavoring for
arroz caldo or sinigan
Soy sauce is "made from fermented soy
beans mixed with some type of roasted grain
(wheat, barley, or rice are common), injected
with a special yeast mold, and liberally
flavored with salt. Toyo can be used both as
a dip and a marinade. Toyo is used as a
dipping sauce for fish, grilled meat, and
siomai.
Though it’s tagged as an all-around sauce,
most of us identify Mang Tomas as lechon
sauce. Mang Tomas’ special formulation
(water, sugar, bread crumbs, vinegar, salt,
liver, spices, pepper, and 0.1 percent sodium
benzoate as a preservative) tastes so good
that it hasn’t prevented anyone from using it
for other fried and roasted chicken and beef
dishes.
Every single day, a small but silent debate is
raging at dinner tables all across the country.
The dispute? Ketchup. Yes, ketchup.
Introduced by the Americans, tomato
ketchup was given a local twist when a
company decided to bring in bananas into the
mix. To this day, the debate remains
unresolved. Whether you’re sticking with the
original tomato-based formulation or not,
one thing’s for sure: you’re likely to reach
for ketchup--banana or tomato--when served
fried chicken or pork chops. Most Pinoys
prefer banana ketchup because it’s a little bit
sweet.
Used mainly as a flavor enhancer and a
marinade, Knorr Liquid Seasoning can be
called a posh version of the soy sauce. A few
drops of it goes very well with grilled fish or
roasted chicken. There are also those who
use it for fried rice and sisig.
Bagoong has come a long way from its
origins in Northern Luzon. Initially produced
using fish and brine, the condiment now has
various iterations, such as sauteed, spicy, and
sweet versions. Bagoong is always a steady
companion to kare-kare, a special oxtail and
beef stew cooked using peanut sauce. It’s
also eaten with manggang hilaw (green
mango).
HDR Food’s Mother’s Best Hot Sauce is the
staple sauce for those who want to add a
spice to their food. The sauce goes well with
fried dishes and even pizza. This sauce is
made from siling labuyo, which is
considered one of the world’s hottest chilis.
 

Made with tomatoes, chilis,onions, sugar, salt,

and vinegar, Pinoys use the sweet chili sauce
mainly as a dip for lumpiang Shanghai. UFC’s
Sweet Chili Sauce, one of the more popular
brands out in the market, has a solid sweet taste
with just a tinge of chili. Some condiment freaks
use it as a dip for chips. They swear that it goes
well with potato chips and cheese-based
munchies.

According to PinoyRecipe.net, "achara or

atsara is the Philippine contribution to the
world of Asian pickles. There are many
versions, and virtually any vegetable can be
used for making achara. Any mention of
achara, though, will most likely evoke
thoughts of this type of achara, which uses
green papaya." Aside from grated green
papaya, the relish also contains sliced
onions, ginger, carrots, and bell peppers. The
boiling vinegar-and-sugar syrup is poured
over it. Is is bottled as soon as it cools.
Atsara is often served with tapsilog, lechon
kawali, and grilled pork liempo.