Ginataan

Ginataan is a term used in Filipino cuisine to describe dishes that are cooked with coconut milk (gata). This method of cooking is prevalent throughout the Philippines and can include a wide variety of dishes, ranging from savory to sweet. In savory dishes, ginataan often involves seafood, meat, vegetables, or a combination thereof, cooked in coconut milk, sometimes with the addition of chili peppers for heat and various spices for flavor. Examples of savory ginataan dishes include ginataang manok (chicken cooked in coconut milk), ginataang gulay (vegetables in coconut milk), and ginataang alimango (crab cooked in coconut milk). The term ginataan is also used for a category of Filipino desserts and snacks that combine coconut milk with sweet ingredients and often glutinous rice or rice flour. These sweet ginataan dishes might include fruits, tapioca pearls, sweet potatoes, and taro. A popular example is ginataang bilo-bilo, a warm, sweet stew that contains glutinous rice balls (bilo-bilo), various tubers and fruits, and sometimes tapioca pearls, all cooked in sweetened coconut milk.