Bagoong

Bagoóng is a paste made from fish or small shrimps that are salted and fermented for several weeks. The liquid byproduct is drawn off and used as a sauce called patis.

Different areas of the Philippines have their own version of bagoóng. For example, the Ilocos region has its bagoóng terong, which is made with bonnetmouth fish. Another Ilocano bagoong is bugguong munamon, made from anchovies.

Other fish used are hairtail, roundscad and sardinella. Bagoóng alamang is a variant that uses small shrimps or krill as the main ingredient.

The Visayans call their version guinamos. One type is a thicker, denser version traditionally made by mashing the mixture with the feet (think of Italians crushing grapes by stomping on them).

Green, unripe mangoes (hilaw na mangga) are traditionally eaten with either salt or bagoóng.

You can also eat singkamas (jicama) with bagoong. Boiled okra is another favorite item to eat with bagoong.

Many Filipino soups and stews are flavored with this condiment. Popular dishes that have it as an essential ingredient are dinengdeng and pakbet.

Binagoongan refers to a dish that heavily relies on bagoóng for flavor. It is frequently a stew that uses pork as a main ingredient.

Bagoong na talaba

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1 tasang talaba at inalis na sa balat
1 kutsarang asin

Hugasan ang talaba ng tubig sa dagat upang manatili ang lasa at maingat na alisin ang mga pira-pirasong nakar na nagakakapit sa laman. Pang napatulo na ang tubig ay ilalagay sa botelya at lalagyan ng asin. Karaniwang ihain an may kauntin gluya at kamatis o di kaya ay igisa sa kaunting sibuyas at mantika.