Sinigang is Taste Atlas’ 2021 Best Soup in the World

International food database Taste Atlas named the Philippines’ well-loved sinigang the best soup in the world during its 2021 awards announced on Jan. 28.

The Philippine broth known for its sour yet savory taste scored 4.63 points out of 5, beating Romania’s white bean soup called ciorbă de fasole cu afumătură (4.55 points) and Japan’s soy sauce-based shoyu ramen (4.54 points). Sinigang often consists of tamarind, eggplant, green pepper, string beans, tomatoes, water spinach, taro, okra, and sliced onions. For protein, Filipinos love to add pork, beef, chicken, or shrimp to the mix. It is best served hot and paired with rice.

“With its sour lightness perfectly matching the harsh tropical heat of the country, sinigang is a unique soup that is a true representative of Filipino cuisine,” Taste Atlas wrote in its description of the Filipino dish.

Meanwhile, Turkey’s mercimek çorbası and the Japanese tonkotsu ramen completed the food database’s five best dishes in the soup category.

Taste Atlas’ ranking of various dish categories is based on more than 100,000 ratings on its website.