Ginataan Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids
Ginataan
Top: Ginataang kalabasa (calabaza and string beans in coconut milk) with shrimp; Bottom: Ginataang mais, a dessert rice gruel (lugaw) with sweet corn and coconut milk
Course	Main course, dessert
Place of origin	Philippines
Serving temperature	Hot or cold
Main ingredients	Coconut milk (gatâ)

Ginataan (say it: GHEE-nah-ta-AN) is a Filipino word. It means food cooked with gatâ, which is coconut milk. So, if something is "ginataan," it means it's made with coconut milk!

Many different dishes are called ginataan. They all use coconut milk, but they can be very different. Some are main dishes, and others are sweet desserts.

A long time ago, during the Spanish colonial era, ginataan was brought to Mexico. This happened through the Manila galleons, which were big ships that sailed between the Philippines and Mexico. Today, you can still find ginataan in some parts of Mexico. In Spanish, it's called guinatán.

What Does "Ginataan" Mean?
- Sweet Ginataan Dishes
Types of Ginataan Dishes
- Main Dishes
- Dessert Dishes
See also

What Does "Ginataan" Mean?

Ginataan usually describes dishes eaten with rice during meals. The name often tells you what's in it. It can be "ginataang" plus the main ingredient. For example, ginataang hipon means shrimp cooked in coconut milk. Ginataang gulay is a mix of vegetables in coconut milk.

Sometimes, a dish you already know can have coconut milk added. For instance, ginataang adobo is a version of the popular Filipino adobo dish, but with coconut milk.

Some dishes have their own names, but they are still part of the ginataan family. This is because they use coconut milk as a main ingredient. Examples include Bicol Express and laing.

Sweet Ginataan Dishes

Some sweet desserts are also called ginataan. This is especially true in the northern Philippines.

For example, a sweet soup from the Visayan islands is called binignit. It's made with coconut milk, glutinous rice, root vegetables, and tapioca pearls. In the Tagalog language, this soup is often just called ginataan.

Another sweet ginataan dessert is Ginataang mais. This is a warm, thick, and sweet soup. It's made with coconut milk, sweet corn, and glutinous rice. If you use chewy balls made from pounded glutinous rice, the dish is called ginataang bilo-bilo or simply bilo-bilo.