Dishes · A classic of Filipino · Pampanga, by one account
Kare-kare
Also Karekare
Oxtail and tripe stewed in a thick peanut sauce, coloured with annatto, eaten with sharp shrimp paste.
What makes it kare-kare
Oxtail, and often tripe, cooked until soft.
Ground peanuts and toasted ground rice to thicken; annatto for colour.
Bagoong alamang on the side — the sauce is barely salted without it.
Where it comes from
Where it began is argued. Pampanga claims it; another story traces it to Indian soldiers who came with the British occupation of Manila in the 1760s and stayed, cooking something like a curry with what they found — which some say is where the name comes from.
The sauce itself is mild and nutty, almost bland on purpose: the seasoning comes at the table, from bagoong alamang, the salty fermented shrimp paste served alongside.