Diniguan is the dish that has become the biggest meme of Filipno-American culture. Growing up, kids are told that diniguan is “chocolate meat.” It’s only when they are older that they learn this dish is actually made out of pig’s blood, which gives this dish the dark brown color everyone first associates with chocolate. When I first learned the truth, I didn’t know if I should feel grossed out or not. It didn’t make it taste any different, but knowing that it’s made out of blood changed my perspective on the dish. At the end of the day, it still tastes delicious, so I decide to ignore the fact. If you’re interested in trying, I put my mom’s recipe below.

RECIPE

Ingredients:

• 2lb pork
• 1/2 onion
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1 thumb-sized piece ginger
• 1/4 cup distilled vinegar
• 1/4 cup cider vinegar
• 1/8 cup rice vinegar
• 1/8 malt vinegar
• salt
• pepper
• sugar
• 1 containers pork blood
• 1 piece knorr cube
• 4 cups lemon grass

1. Saute the pork in onions, garlic, and ginger.
2. In a separate bowl, mix pork blood, distilled vinegar, cider vinegar, rice vinegar, and malt vinegar until smooth and blended.
3. Add the blood mixture, knorr cube, and lemon grass in sauted meat.
4. Simmer while stirring intermitently until the meat is tender.
5. Add salt, pepper and a pinch of sugar for taste.
6. Enjoy!