[1] It is more accurately a cooking process that relies on vinegar and acidic fruit juices (usually citrus) to denature the ingredients, rather than a dish, as it can also be used to prepare meat and vegetables.

[2] Kinilaw dishes are usually eaten as appetizers before a meal, or as finger food (Tagalog: pulutan) with alcoholic drinks.

[5] To neutralize the fishy taste and acidity before serving, juice extracts from the grated flesh of tabon-tabon, dungon, or young coconuts are also commonly added.

[3][7][8] Other variants include shrimp, squid, clams, oysters, crabs, sea urchin roe, seaweed, jellyfish, shipworms (tamilok), or even beetle larvae.

The balangay archaeological excavation site in Butuan (dated c. 10th to 13th century AD) uncovered remains of halved tabon-tabon fruits and fish bones cut in a manner suggesting that they were cubed, thus indicating that the cooking process is at least a thousand years old.

Among Ilocanos, however, the term kilawen is understood as a method of food preparation that encompasses a variety of raw, lightly cooked, or cured dishes, including those traditionally classified as kinilaw.

[16] These dishes are typically prepared using raw, lightly grilled, or boiled meat or seafood, marinated in sugarcane vinegar (sukang Iloko) or citrus juices such as calamansi or dayap.

[17][18] The most commonly used ingredients include fish, shrimp, carabao, beef, goat, and pork, which are seasoned with ginger, chili, salt, and other spices to enhance their flavor.