"I threw up after eating that sweet spaghetti," someone once said to me during their visit to the Philippines. "It was weird."
"It's supposed to be sweet," I replied while trying to hide my offence at their sacrilegious statement.
Yes, Filipino spaghetti is sweet. It's also bright red and contains hotdogs. Some overcook it on purpose. And it's delicious.
Origins
While we don't know for certain who created Filipino spaghetti, we do know that's influenced by the US and resourcefulness.
During the US occupation, people brought recipes over that reminded them of home. One of these was spaghetti bolognese. However, during World War II, tomato imports were limited.
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In the 1930s, food technologist Maria Orosa utilised local ingredients to create Filipino versions of international food products. Because there were plenty of bananas in the Philippines, she developed what's known as banana ketchup to substitute tomato sauce.
Rumour has it that General Douglas MacArthur, defence advisor to the Philippines government, once craved spaghetti Napolitan (Japanese spaghetti with tomato ketchup). His Filipino staff cooked the dish with banana ketchup instead and added hotdogs to cut the minced-meat quantity in half.
Going mainstream
Fast-forward to modern times and sweet spaghetti with hotdog slices is still popular among Filipinos – so much so that Jollibee, one of the most popular fast-food chains in the Philippines, has it on its menu.
There will always be a place for a bowl of Filipino spaghetti on our table for those who long for it and those curious enough to try.
While Jollibee has found its way to America, Canada and some parts of Europe and Asia, it has yet to reach our shores; so when my family and I visited the Philippines a few years back, I was excited to introduce its sweet spaghetti, to my eldest, who was 10 months old at that time.
"Yummy, right, baby?" I smiled at my little boy after he took a bite.
He makes a face and spits out chewed-up noodles and bits of meat.
Birthday staple
OK, maybe Filipino spaghetti is an acquired taste. Maybe it's not for everyone. Maybe I have an appreciation for it because I grew up with it.
I remember that Filipino spaghetti was the focal point of food at parties during my childhood. It was almost always accompanied with fried chicken, tuna and chicken sandwiches with rainbow-coloured bread, pork barbecue and hotdogs on sticks with marshmallows.
Author as a child with mum, brother and cousins, surrounded by a typical Filipino birthday spread. Source: Supplied
However, while my Australian-born sons have yet to appreciate Filipino spaghetti, and while their ideal birthday spread is different from mine, there will always be a place for a bowl of Filipino spaghetti on our table for those who long for it and those curious enough to try.
Filipino spaghetti
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 500 g minced beef
- 500 g minced pork
- 1 big pack of Filipino-style spaghetti sauce
- ½ bottle of banana ketchup
- 2 beef stock cubes
- 1 pack red hotdogs, sliced into small half-circles
- 1 pack spaghetti or linguine noodles
- Grated cheddar cheese
- Pepper, to taste
- Sugar, to taste
Method
- Sauté garlic and onion. Add minced meat, break apart and brown.
- Pour in spaghetti sauce and banana ketchup. Add pepper, beef cubes and sugar to taste. Let simmer.
- Add sliced hotdogs and a bit of cheese. Cook until cheese melts. Turn off heat and set aside.
- Boil water and oil. Add noodles and cook.
- Drain noodles and mix with the sauce. Top with cheese.
- Optional step: Bake spaghetti in the oven until cheese melts.
Note
- Filipino spaghetti is best served with slices of toast or pandesal (Filipino bread rolls).
- Store excess sauce in the freezer for later use.
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