Why is Friday munggo day?

WHAT’S with munggo every Friday? 

Do you notice it as well? Almost every Friday, munggo soup is the typical meal on the Filipino dining table. The most common explanation would be because Pinoys love to end their week in a healthy way after consuming meat the previous days. 

As tradition would have it, Filipinos usually do their market trips or so-called “Palengke Day” during weekends. And because not everyone has refrigerating facilities, they tend to plan for food that doesn’t spoil easily for their weekend. 

Another theory dates back to the Spanish times when friars instilled in the minds of Filipinos that eating meat on a Friday is strictly forbidden. Usually, foregoing the consumption of meat is the most common sacrifice. As a reminder of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross, people usually serve fish instead of meat. This is typically done during the Lenten season. 

Different ways to serve munggo 

Since it’s a given that Friday is munggo day, expect your moms, manangs, lolas and wives to serve it hot and savory every time. Cook usually have their own takes on ginisang munggo. 

A hot and refreshing bowl of ginisang munggo soup is usually paired with fried fish. On a free day, it can be topped with meat, shrimp, fish (Tinapa or any other fried fish is preferred) or chicharon. 

How do you prefer your munggo soup?