Bulalo

Bulalô

Bulalô
Course	Main course
Place of origin	The Philippines
Region or state	Batangas
Serving temperature	Hot
Main ingredients	Beef shin, cabbage, chinese cabbage, corn, fish sauce, garlic, onion, potato, leeks / spring onion
Media: Bulalô

Bulalô (Tagalog: [bʊlɐˈlɔʔ]) is a beef dish from the Philippines. It is a light colored soup which is made by slow-cooking beef shanks and bone marrow until the collagen and fat has melted or dissipated into a clear broth. It typically includes leafy vegetables (for example pechay or cabbage), corn on the cob, scallions, onions, garlic, ginger, and fish sauce. Potatoes, carrots, or taro may be added. It is commonly eaten on rice with soy sauce and calamansi on the side. Bulalo is native to the Southern Luzon region of the Philippines, particularly in the provinces of Batangas and Cavite.^[1][2][3][4]

Bulalo is a pre-colonial Filipino dish. Its name comes from the word bulalo, which means "bone marrow" in Tagalog (also extending to mean "kneecap"). Bulalo originally does not include vegetables or starchy ingredients (aside from the flavoring ingredients and spices). Though in modern times, vegetables have become more typical in most bulalo recipes.^[5] The key distinguishing ingredient of the dish is the bone marrow, which differentiates it from similar beef broth dishes in the Philippines.^[5] Bulalo is most commonly confused with nilagang baka, since both can share almost all of the same ingredients. However, nilagang baka only uses meaty and fatty cuts of beef and does not include bone marrow.^[5]

Other similar dishes in other parts of the Philippines (which may or may not include bone marrow) include the Western Visayan cansi which is soured with batuan fruit;^[6] the Waray dish pakdol; and the Cebuano dish pochero.

See also

• Lauya
• Nilaga
• Cansi
• Philippine cuisine

External links

• Media related to Bulalo at Wikimedia Commons

References

1. Abitbol, Vera. "Philippines: Bulalo". 196 Flavors. Retrieved October 23, 2019.
2. "Bulalo Recipe". Pinoy Recipe at iba pa. Retrieved December 17, 2012.
3. "Bulalo (Beef Shank Soup)". Pinoy Kusinero. Archived from the original on October 23, 2019. Retrieved October 23, 2019.
4. "Bulalo (Filipino Beef Marrow Stew)". NoRecipes.com. June 11, 2009. Retrieved October 23, 2019.
5. Co, Alina R. "Bulalo: A hearty soup for the Filipino soul". SBS Filipino. Retrieved December 28, 2025.
6. "For The Rainy Season, A Slow Cooked Bacolod Soup For The Soul". ChoosePhilippines. Archived from the original on October 23, 2019. Retrieved October 23, 2019.