Bagoong

Bagoóng(Tagalog pronunciation:[bɐɡuˈʔoŋ];buh-goo-ONG) is aPhilippine condimentpartially or completely made of eitherfermentedfish (bagoóng isdâ) orkrillorshrimp paste(bagoóng alamáng) withsalt.Thefermentationprocess also producesfish sauceknown aspatís.
The preparation of bagoóng can vary regionally in thePhilippines.
Bagoóng is usually made from a variety of fishspecies, including the following:
Bagoóng made from fish is encompassed by the termbagoóng isdâ(lit. "fish bagoong") inLuzonand 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 monamonorbagoong dilisand those from bonnetmouths asbagoong terong.
In the southernVisayasandMindanao, fish bagoong made from anchovies is known asguinamos(also spelledginamos). Larger fermented fish are known astinabal.
Bagoong can also be made fromkrill. This type of bagoong is known asbagoong alamang. It is calleduyaporalamangin the southern Philippines,aramanginIlocosand parts ofNorthern Luzon, andginamosordayokin western Visayas.
In rarer instances, it can also be made fromoysters,clams, and fish and shrimproe.A kind of bagoong made in the town ofBalayan, Batangasis also known asbagoong Balayan.
VeganBagoong Alamang is a type offermentedPhilippine condimentsabstaining fromanimal product. Instead, squash, morinaga and other vegetables are used.
Bagoong isdais 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.The mixture is kept inside large earthen fermentation jars (known astapayaninTagalogandVisayan languages, andburnayinIlocano).It is covered, to keepinsectsaway, 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.
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.
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 asangkakis added.Angkakis made from rice inoculated with a species of red mold (Monascus purpureus).High-quality salt with little mineral impurities is preferred. Highmetalliccontent 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.Some manufacturers grind the fermented product finely and sell the resulting mixture as fish paste.
Patísor 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.Sauces similar to patís includenước mắmin Vietnam,nam pha(ນ້ຳປາ) in Laos,hom hain China,nam plain Thailand,shottsuruin Japan andsaeu chotin Korea, as well as thegarumofancient Greeceand theRoman Empire. Indonesia has an East Javanese condiment calledpetis(pronounced similar to patís in Filipino): a paste made from the caramelized fermented reduction ofpindangbroth, 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.If the residual solids are not moist enough,brineis usually added.The rate of fermentation can vary depending on thepH levelsof the mixture and thetemperature. Exposure to sunlight can also reduce the amount of time required to two months.
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."This later prompted preeminent Philippine nationalistJose Rizalto denounce the descriptions in his 1890 annotation, saying: