Bagoong monamon, bagoong monamon-dilis, or simply bagoong and bugguong munamon in Ilocano, is a common ingredient used in the

Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...

and particularly in Northern Ilocano cuisine. It is made by fermenting salted

anchovies An anchovy is a small, common forage fish of the family Engraulidae. Most species are found in marine waters, but several will enter brackish water, and some in South America are restricted to fresh water. More than 140 species are placed in 1 ...

("monamon" or "munamon" in Ilocano) which is not designed, nor customarily used for immediate consumption since it is completely raw.

Description

It is often used as a cooking ingredient, although it is also regularly used as an accompaniment to traditional food dishes. To most Westerners unfamiliar with this

condiment A condiment is a preparation that is added to food, typically after cooking, to enhance the Flavoring, flavour, to complement the dish or to impart a specific flavor. Such specific flavors generally add sweetness or pungency, or sharp or piquant ...

, the smell can be repulsive. Bagoong is however, an essential ingredient in many curries and sauces. This type of bagoong is smoother than bagoong terong, although they are similar in flavor. The odor is unique and smells strongly of fish. Fish sauce, common throughout Southeast Asian cuisine, is a by-product of the bagoong process. Known as patis, it is distinguished as the clear refined layer floating on the thicker bagoong, itself. Patis and bagoong can be interchanged in recipes, depending on personal taste and preference.

Flavor enhancer

Bagoong is used as a flavor enhancing agent, in the place of

salt In common usage, salt is a mineral composed primarily of sodium chloride (NaCl). When used in food, especially in granulated form, it is more formally called table salt. In the form of a natural crystalline mineral, salt is also known as r ...

soy sauce Soy sauce (sometimes called soya sauce in British English) is a liquid condiment of China, Chinese origin, traditionally made from a fermentation (food), fermented paste of soybeans, roasted cereal, grain, brine, and ''Aspergillus oryzae'' or ''A ...

, or

monosodium glutamate Monosodium glutamate (MSG), also known as sodium glutamate, is a sodium salt of glutamic acid. MSG is found naturally in some foods including tomatoes and cheese in this glutamic acid form. MSG is used in cooking as a flavor enhancer with a ...

. It is used in creating the fish stock that is the base for many Ilocano dishes, like

pinakbet (also called ) is a traditional Filipino cuisine, Filipino vegetable dish that originates from the Ilocos Region of the Philippines. The dish consists of a variety of vegetables and flavored with Bugguong, bugguóng munamón (bagoóng isdâ or ...

, or as a dressing to greens in the dish called

kinilnat ''Kinilnat'', or ''ensalada'', is an Ilocano salad. Unlike some Western salads, accompanies the main course as a side dish. The leaves, shoots, blossoms, immature fruits or other parts of the vegetables are blanched, drained and dressed wit ...

or ensalada. Bagoong is also used as a condiment, in many cases, a dipping sauce for chicharon, green and ripe mangoes, or hard boiled eggs. It is similar in taste and smell to that of anchovy paste.

Marketing

Bagoong munamon is marketed either with bits of fermented fish (which is often used to make flavorful soups, especially in the Ilocano "Dinengdeng;" or it can be fried for a quick meal) or without (marketed as "boneless" bagoong munamon, usually stored in bottles). Boneless bagoong, if left undisturbed for quite some time, will settle to the bottom of its container, separating the clear patis from the solids, as patis comes from bagoong. In other areas of the Philippines, this type of bagoong can be named for the locale they came from, e.g. bagoong balayan (which is produced in the coastal town of

Balayan Balayan, officially the Municipality of Balayan (), is a municipality of the Philippines, municipality in the Philippine Province, province of Batangas, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 95,913 people. The town ...

in the Province of

Batangas Batangas, officially the Province of Batangas ( ), is a first class province of the Philippines located in the southwestern part of Luzon in the Calabarzon region. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 2,908,494 people, making ...

References

{{Filipino cuisine Filipino cuisine Fish sauces Fermented fish Condiments Umami enhancers Ilocano cuisine Ilocano culture

Description

Flavor enhancer

Marketing

See also

References