Soup Number Five

01 / ABOUT THE DISH

About the dish

Soup number five is a Filipino soup prepared with unusual key ingredients – bull's penis and testicles. Other ingredients include a plethora of (mostly) herbs and spices such as chili peppers, green onions, lemongrass, ginger, onions, garlic, salt, sugar, pepper, fish sauce, beef broth, and oil. There are many variations on the soup, as well as secret recipes. In the Philippines, the soup is thought to be an aphrodisiac and to have healing properties. It's also very popular as a hangover cure and a pulutan – a dish that's eaten while drinking alcohol. The unusual name with the number five, however, is still shrouded in mystery. In the province of Cebu, this soup is known as lanciao or lansiao .