Nuggets of Pinoy pride were prominent throughout the second season of XO, Kitty. The Netflix series dropped a handful of Filipino references in some episodes, with Q (played by Fil-Am actor Anthony Keyvan) proudly mentioning his heritage to his classmates.
In the seventh episode of the show, Q was busy in the kitchen, preparing a "special Filipino healing broth" for his boyfriend Jin (Joshua Lee). Said to be a recipe of his lola's, the elixir involved an intriguing combination of calamansi, coconut vinegar, bagoong, pickled green papaya, and annatto oil.
Upon taking a sip of the concoction, Q's roommate Minho (Sang Heon Lee) quickly described it as "potent." Filipino netizens took notice of the shout-out from the scene and were left equally as perplexed by what was bubbling in Q's pot.
Netizens React to the "Filipino Healing Broth" in XO, Kitty Season 2
Netflix shared shots of the scene online, prompting users to share their thoughts on what Q was cooking up. Many expressed their confusion, with some remarking, "I don't think there's even a right answer for this" and "What even is the right answer? Cause I have no idea."
One netizen pointed out the unusual mix of ingredients, saying they made for a "mix of different Filipino dishes."
Users liberally shared their guesses, with some dropping humorous takes such as "relyenong dilis" and "tinolang pakbet." Could it also possibly be "sinabawang adobong kare kare with a side of atchara"? LOL!
One called it "pacham," quipping that it was some sort of hodgepodge made up by Q's Filipina grandmother.
What Could the "Filipino Healing Broth" Actually Be?
To appease our confusion, we reached out to Chef Jorge Mendez of Modan and Some Thai for some expert insight. While he's also in wonder about the origins of the broth, he says it could possibly be a version of laswa, a vegetable soup from Iloilo.
For something a bit more universally familiar, Chef Jorge assumes that it could be "sinigang made with pickled green papaya and annatto oil, using bagoong instead of patis for seasoning, along with calamansi and coconut vinegar as souring agents."
Okay, we'll take it!
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