Sawsawang suka (Filipino spiced vinegar dip)
Vegetarian
Sawsawang suka
Cane vinegar steeped with crushed garlic, onion, bird's eye chillies and cracked pepper. The sharp everyday sawsawan (dipping sauce) for fried pork, fish and lumpia.
Sawsawang suka (Filipino spiced vinegar dip) is a Filipino dip from Philippines, ready in about 35 minutes and made with white vinegar and garlic. It serves 10 and is rated beginner to cook.
No licensed photograph of this dish yet.
- Prep
- 5 min
- Cook
- 0 min
- Rest
- 30 min
- Total
- 35 min
- Serves
- 10
- Level
- Beginner
- Calories
- 12
Method
Step 1
Crush or chop the garlic (opens in a new tab), chop the onion and slice the chillies.
How it looks · Photo: RDNE Stock project on Pexels Step 2
Put them in a clean jar with the vinegar, cracked pepper (opens in a new tab), salt and sugar (opens in a new tab) and shake until the salt and sugar dissolve.
Step 3
Leave to steep for at least 30 minutes (overnight is better) so the garlic (opens in a new tab) and chilli flavour the vinegar. Spoon into small saucers to dip.
- 1 min
About this dish
- Origin
- Philippines · Commonly attributedSawsawan is the general Filipino word for dipping sauces mixed at the table; spiced vinegar is the most common. Proportions are a typical home balance.More food from Philippines
- Dish
- Breakfast · Lunch · Dinner · Dips & spreads · Condiments, chutneys & relishes
- Cooking method
- No-cook
- Taste
- sour, garlicky, spicy (chilli heat)
- Diet
- Vegan · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · Low-carbWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
All labels
Vegan · Plant-based · Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Ovo-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Low-carb · Low-fat - Good for
- Everyday · Budget-friendly · Make-ahead
- Cook more with
- White vinegar · Garlic · Red onion · Fresh red chilli · Sugar
Allergens
None of the 14 major allergens appear in the listed ingredients.
Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.
Nutrition
12 kcal per serving
Calculated1 serving ≈ 29 g · recipe makes 10
Where the energy comes from
- Protein 11%
- Carbohydrate 89%
- Fat 0%
| Nutrient | Per serving | Per 100 g |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 12 kcal | 40 kcal |
| Protein | 0.2 g | 0.8 g |
| Carbohydrate | 1.7 g | 5.8 g |
| Net carbohydrate | 1.6 g | 5.4 g |
| Sugars | 0.7 g | 2.4 g |
| Added sugars | 0.4 g | 1.4 g |
| Fibre | 0.1 g | 0.4 g |
| Fat | 0 g | 0.1 g |
| Saturated fat | — | — |
| Trans fat | 0 g | 0 g |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg | 0 mg |
| Sodium | 79 mg | 272 mg |
| Salt equivalent | 0.2 g | 0.7 g |
Vitamins & minerals per serving
- Potassium
- 20 mg
- Calcium
- 7 mg
- Iron
- 0.1 mg
- Magnesium
- 2 mg
- Vitamin A (RAE)
- 1 µg
- Vitamin C
- 2 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0 µg
- Vitamin B12
- —
- Folate (DFE)
- —
How these numbers were made
- Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
- “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
- Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.
Good to know
Tips
- Each diner often adjusts their own saucer, adding soy sauce, calamansi or fish sauce.
Common mistakes
- Using harsh distilled malt or spirit vinegar at full strength; cut it with a little water if no cane vinegar is available.
Serve with
- Lechon kawali, crispy pata and chicharon.
- Fried fish (daing), longganisa and tapa at breakfast.
- Lumpia Shanghai and fried tofu (tokwa't baboy).
Food safety
- Keep refrigerated: although vinegar is acidic, the fresh garlic and onion are best kept cold.
Storage
- Refrigerate in a clean jar for up to 2 weeks; the flavour strengthens over time.
Variations
- Sinamak (Philippines): Visayan coconut vinegar infused for a week or more with garlic, ginger, chillies and pepper.
- Toyomansi (Philippines): Soy sauce with calamansi juice and chilli, for grilled meats and pancit.
- Toyo't suka (Philippines): Equal parts soy sauce and vinegar with garlic and onion, for tokwa't baboy.
Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated
Goes with
Recipe DNA
How this dish is built
Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.
What the dish is built around
Main ingredient
- Garlic, 5 cloves, peeled and crushed or finely chopped25 g
- Fresh red chilli, siling labuyo (bird's eye chillies), sliced or lightly crushed10 g
Make it milder, swap ingredients for your diet, change the batch size or thickness — the original stays as it is.
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