Question 1

True or false: Kare-Kare is typically made with beef tripe and oxtail, but never with vegetables.

Accepted Answer

False. Vegetables like eggplant, string beans, banana heart, and pechay are core ingredients, not optional.

Question 2

True or false: Kare-Kare is always served with a side of bagoong alamang, a salty shrimp paste.

Accepted Answer

True. The salty, funky bagoong balances the rich, nutty sauce—it’s considered an essential pairing.

Question 3

True or false: The dish's rich brown color comes from annatto seeds, not chocolate or cocoa.

Accepted Answer

True. Annatto seeds (atsuete) are soaked in oil or water to give Kare-Kare its signature deep orange-brown hue.

Question 4

True or false: Kare-Kare is traditionally thickened with toasted ground rice, not peanut butter.

Accepted Answer

True. Authentic Kare-Kare uses toasted ground rice (malagkit) for thickening; commercial peanut butter is a modern shortcut.

Question 5

True or false: Kare-Kare was originally a royal dish served only in the Spanish colonial court.

Accepted Answer

False. It actually originated as a humble peasant stew in Pampanga, made with offal and vegetables.

Question 6

True or false: The dish originated in the Ilocos region and was later popularized in Manila.

Accepted Answer

False. Kare-Kare is a signature dish of Pampanga (Kapampangan cuisine), not Ilocos.

Question 7

True or false: Some historians believe Kare-Kare was influenced by Filipino soldiers who served in India during WWII.

Accepted Answer

False. There's no evidence of a WWII Indian connection; Indian influence predates the colonial period via trade.

Question 8

True or false: The name 'Kare-Kare' comes from the Tamil word 'kari,' meaning spicy curry sauce.

Accepted Answer

True. Linguists trace the name to Tamil 'kari' via influences from Indian traders in pre-colonial Philippines.

Kare-Kare Trivia Questions