 Traditionalburnay jars containing fermentingbagoong inIlocos Norte | |
| Type | Condiment |
|---|---|
| Region or state | Philippines |
| Associatedcuisine | Philippines |
| Main ingredients | Fish |
Bagoóng (Tagalog pronunciation:[bɐɡuˈʔoŋ];buh-goo-ONG) is aPhilippine condiment partially or completely made of eitherfermented fish (bagoóng isdâ) orkrill orshrimp paste (bagoóng alamáng) withsalt.[1] Thefermentation process also producesfish sauce known aspatís.[2]
The preparation of bagoóng can vary regionally in thePhilippines.[3]
Bagoóng is usually made from a variety of fishspecies, including the following:[1][4]
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Bagoóng made from fish is encompassed by the termbagoóng isdâ (lit. "fish bagoong") inLuzon and northern parts of theVisayas. They can be distinguished further by the type of fish they are made of. Those made from anchovies are generally known asbagoong monamon orbagoong dilis and those from bonnetmouths asbagoong terong.[5]
In the southernVisayas andMindanao, fish bagoong made from anchovies is known asguinamos (also spelledginamos). Larger fermented fish are known astinabal.[6]
Bagoong can also be made fromkrill. This type of bagoong is known asbagoong alamang. It is calleduyap oralamang in the southern Philippines,aramang inIlocos and parts ofNorthern Luzon, andginamos ordayok in western Visayas.[7][8]
In rarer instances, it can also be made fromoysters,clams, and fish and shrimproe.[9][10] A kind of bagoong made in the town ofBalayan, Batangas is also known asbagoong Balayan.[8]
Vegan Bagoong Alamang is a type offermentedPhilippine condiments abstaining fromanimal product. Instead, squash, morinaga and other vegetables are used.[11]
Bagoong isda is prepared by mixing salt and fish usually by volume; mixture proportions are proprietary depending on the manufacturer. The salt and fish are mixed uniformly, usually by hand.[12] The mixture is kept inside large earthen fermentation jars (known astapayan inTagalog andVisayan languages, andburnay inIlocano).[13] It is covered, to keepinsects away, and left to ferment for 30–90 days with occasional stirring to make sure the salt is spread evenly. The mixture can expand significantly during the process.[3]
The preparation ofbagoong alamang (shrimp or krill paste) is similar, with krill cleaned thoroughly and washed in weak brine solution (10%). As in fish bagoong, the shrimp are then mixed with salt in a 25% salt to 75% shrimp ratio by weight.[3]
The products of the fermentation process are usually pale gray to white in color. To obtain the characteristic red or pink color of some bagoong, a kind of food coloring known asangkak is added.Angkak is made from rice inoculated with a species of red mold (Monascus purpureus).[12] High-quality salt with little mineral impurities is preferred. Highmetallic content in the salt used can often result in darker colors to the resulting bagoong and a less agreeable undertaste. Likewise, oversalting and undersalting also has a significant impact on the rate and quality of fermentation due to their effects on the bacteria involved in the process.[3] Some manufacturers grind the fermented product finely and sell the resulting mixture as fish paste.[14]
Patís or fish sauce is a byproduct of the fermentation process. It is a clear, yellowish liquid that floats above the fermented mixture, and has a sharp salty or cheese-like flavor.[3] Sauces similar to patís includenước mắm in Vietnam,nam pha (ນ້ຳປາ) in Laos,hom ha in China,nam pla in Thailand,shottsuru in Japan andsaeu chot in Korea, as well as thegarum ofancient Greece and theRoman Empire. Indonesia has an East Javanese condiment calledpetis (pronounced similar to patís in Filipino): a paste made from the caramelized fermented reduction ofpindang broth, a spicy and tangy herbal soup typically containing fish or shrimp (occasionally, beef or eggs).
To obtain patís, fermentation is longer, usually taking six months to a year. During the longer fermentation processes, the fish or shrimp constituents disintegrate further, producing a clear yellowish liquid on top of the mixture due tohydrolysis. This is the patis; it can be harvested once it has developed its characteristic smell. It is drained,pasteurized, and bottled separately, while the residue is turned into bagoong.[3] If the residual solids are not moist enough,brine is usually added.[1] The rate of fermentation can vary depending on thepH levels of the mixture and thetemperature. Exposure to sunlight can also reduce the amount of time required to two months.[3]
Over the centuries, people unfamiliar with bagoong have given it a reputation as an "exotic" dish, portraying in a positive or negative light, depending on the point of view of the writer. For example, one early description was Spanish colonial officialAntonio de Morga, whose bookSucesos de las Islas Filipinas (Events in the Philippine Isles) included a description of bagoong as "fish which ... has started to rot and stink."[15] This later prompted preeminent Philippine nationalistJose Rizal to denounce the descriptions in his 1890 annotation, saying:
This is another preoccupation of the Spaniards who, like any other nation, treat food to which they are not accustomed or is unknown to them with disgust. ... This fish that Morga mentions, that cannot be good until it begins to rot, is bagoong and those who have eaten it and tasted it know that it neither is nor should be rotten.[15]
Media related toBagoong at Wikimedia Commons| Fish sauce |  | |
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