Arroz caldo

Arroz caldois aSpanishterm meaning "broth rice". It is derived from the Spanish disharroz caldoso.
InPhilippine cuisine, it is made ofriceand chickengruelheavily infused withgingerand garnished with toastedgarlic,scallions, andblack pepper. It is usually served withcalamansiorfish sauce(patis) ascondiments, as well as ahard-boiled egg. Most versions also addsafflower(kasubha) which turns the dish characteristically yellow.Arroz caldois also known aspospasinVisayanregions, thoughpospashas slightly different ingredients.
Arroz caldois a type oflugaw. It is regarded as acomfort foodinPhilippineculture and is a popular breakfast meal.
The name is derived fromSpanisharroz("rice") andcaldo("broth").It originally referred to all types of rice gruels (Tagalog:lugaw), but has come to refer to a specific type oflugawthat uses chicken and is heavily infused with ginger.
Whilearroz caldois derived from the Spanish brothy rice dish "arroz caldoso". A similar local derivative dish known as "Lugaw" orcongeewas introduced byChinesemigrants. It has diverged over the centuries to use Filipino ingredients and suit the local tastes.
Arroz caldotypically usesglutinous rice(malagkit), but can also be made with regular rice boiled with an excess of water. The chicken pieces are usually cooked first in a broth with a large amount of ginger. The chicken are taken out and shredded once tender then re-added along with the rice. The rice is continually stirred while cooking to prevent it from sticking to the pot.The characteristic yellow color of the dish is due to the addition ofkasubha(safflower). In more expensive versions,saffronmay be used, which further enhances the flavor, unlike safflower.When neither are available, some versions useturmericinstead.
Arroz caldois served in individual bowls with a singlehard-boiled egg. It is garnished with toastedgarlic, choppedscallions, andblack pepper. Crumbledchicharoncan also be added to augment the texture and taste. Whilearroz caldois very fragrant, it is usually quite bland in taste and thus need to be seasoned further with various condiments. The most commonly used condiments arecalamansiandfish sauce(patis).Limeorlemonmay be substituted for calamansi.
Arroz caldois regarded as acomfort foodin Filipino cuisine. It is usually eaten for breakfast, during colder months, during rainy weather, and by people who are sick or bedridden. It is eaten hot or warm, since the dish congeals if left to cool. It can be reheated by adding a little bit of water.
Philippine Airlinesis particularly known for itsarroz caldo,reportedly a favorite of PresidentCorazon Aquino.
InVisayanregions, savorylugawis known aspospas. Chickenpospasis regarded as the direct equivalent ofarroz caldo. However, unlikearroz caldo,pospastraditionally does not use safflower.
A much rarer variant ofarroz caldoisarroz caldong palaka, which usesfrog legs(palakameans "frog" in Tagalog).Non-traditional variants includeveganversions which usemushroomsortofuinstead of meat.
Gotois closely related toarroz caldobut is regarded as a different type oflugawsince it does not rely heavily on ginger.It is prepared similarly asarroz caldobut uses beeftripethat has been soaked and boiled for hours until very tender. It is also known asarroz caldo con gotoorarroz con goto, fromTagaloggoto("tripe").