Bagguong

Bagguong, that is synonymn to Ilocano taste. You may call it fish sauce or fish paste but we prefer it that name... bagguong. No

bagguong

dinengdeng (local vegetable in fish sauce based that has squash blossoms, bamboo shoots, saluyot or jute leaves, string beans added with dried fish or shrimps) will be served withiot baguong.

But Ilocano do not just use fish sauce to soup base vegetables recipes but also to some recipes that may or may not necessary to bagguong. Sometimes this is included in some coconut milk base dishes, some meat recipes called binagguongan and also some dip for some fried dish mixed with vinegar, calamansi or lemon extract.

And take note, Ilocano prefer to make their own bagguong rather than buying it in the market. The tradition of making bagguong is still practice to this date. In making bagguong, Ilocanos do not cook bagguong but make it through aging the fish until it’s rotting.  Small fishes are ideal for Ilocano bagguong are small fishes like padas, munamon, ariawriaw among others. But the most preferred is the fingerlings called “ipon”. These small kinds of fishes are the best to become the fish sauce. It will be put to a certain kind of clay pot and aged for a period of time.

Believe me, we never consider the smell of bagguong as stinky but an aromatic smell that best for the taste bud when used in cooking. Some people may never consider bagguong as condiments or taster to their recipes but Ilocanos cannot be an Ilocano chef without perfecting the recipes with the use of bagguong. The respect for that chef or cook was there if he knows to cook with bagguong. Besides, home cook is the best for us.

And we love the not so good smell and taste of bagguong... simply its our tradition.###