Key Points
- Suam (suwam or sinuwam) is a Tagalog word which means to sauté fish or meat with ginger and garlic.
- Most information point to Pampanga as the place of origin of the dish.
- Glutinous corn is used because they are starchy and will create a thicker smoother soup.
For a tropical country like the Philippines, it’s surprising how much soups and warm dishes are served everyday — even during summer. I can only guess because we are creatures of comfort, and a warm hearty soup is like a hug whatever the weather.
Suam na Mais is a humble dish that’s served mostly in homes, using minced pork or prawns.
The origins are questionable, although most available information point to Pampanga. It is unsurprising as the lowlands in this region have been a major producer of corn for many years.
The etymology of the dish possibly borrows from Hokkien where “chu” means to cook and “am” is the starch from the broth.
Simply put, suam (suwam or sinuwam) is a Tagalog word which means to saut fish or meat with ginger and garlic.
Suam na Mais (Serves 4)
2-3 white corn (glutinous)
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp butter
1 shallot or small onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small ginger (thumb size), minced
½ Australian banana prawns or King prawns, peeled and deveined. (save the heads and peels)
750 ml water
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp freshly ground pepper or ground white pepper
2 handfuls of baby spinach (add more if preferred)
Procedure:
1. Remove the husks from the corn. Using a knife, gently cut the kernels from the cob, top to bottom. Repeat with all the corn. Set everything aside in a bowl.
2. Add oil and butter in a deep pan or pot.
3. Pan-fry the prawn heads and peel until crisp. Remove from the pan.
4. In the same pan/pot, saute the ginger, garlic, and shallots/onions until soft.
5. Add the corn kernels and the cob, stirring occasionally for 3-5 minutes. The cobs are added to the stock for extra starch to thicken the soup.
6. Add the water and bring to a boil. Turn the heat to medium for 15-20 minutes or until the kernels are soft.
7. Remove the cobs (cool before disposing in the rubbish bin)
8. Add the prawns, add the lid, and cook in low simmer for 5 minutes.
9. Turn off the heat, add the baby spinach, and put the lid on.
10. Serve in bowls.
Notes:
1. Frying the prawn heads and peels first, flavours the oil which will be used for cooking. It also adds colour to the soup. Cool the prawn heads and peels before tossing in the bin.
2. Glutinous corn is used because they are starchy and will create a thicker smoother soup. They’re available in Asian supermarkets and some green grocers.
3. If glutinous corn is unavailable, regular yellow corn will be used. Add corn flour slurry (1 tbsp corn flour diluted in 1 tablespoon water), and add to make a thicker soup.
4. Cut the cobs into smaller pieces (3 cuts for 1 corn cob) and keep them in the soup as you’re finishing the cooking and remove before serving. The cob contains starch which helps thicken the soup.
5. Traditionally, malunggay (moringa leaves) or chilli leaves are used for this dish. Baby spinach is an easy option as they are available year-round. Chopped tuscan kale can also be used.
