kilaw or Kinilaw means to “cook” in vinegar. There is no heat involved, so it’s not really cooking in every since of the word. Soaking a fish with a strong vinegar solution turns the meat opaque and gives it a texture of having been cooked. Kilaw or kinilaw in Cebuano, on the otherhand, means eating raw food, quite literally, accompanied with a number of spices (ginger, red onions, leeks, and to add more excitement to your palate, season it with red hot chile peppers).
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