Bagoong Monamon
Encyclopedia
Bagoong monamon, bagoong monamon-dilis, or simply bagoong and bugguong munamon in Ilocano, is a common ingredient used in the Philippines
and particularly in Northern Ilocano
cuisine. It is made by fermenting salted anchovies which is not designed, nor customarily used for immediate consumption since it is completely raw. Therefore it is used as a cooking ingredient, upon when it is cooked alone, it can be used as an accompaniment to traditional food dishes. To most Westerners unfamiliar with this condiment, the smell can be extremely repulsive. Bagoong is however, an essential ingredient in many curries and sauces.
This bagoong is smoother than bagoong terong
, however, 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.
Bagoong is used as a flavor enhancing agent, in the place of salt
, soy sauce
, or monosodium glutamate
. It is used in creating the fish stock that is the base for many Ilocano dishes, like pinakbet
, or as a dressing to greens in the dish called kinilnat 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.
In other areas of the Philippines, this type of bagoong can be named for the locale they came from, eg; bagoong balayan (which is produced in the coastal town of Balayan in the Province of Batangas).
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
and particularly in Northern Ilocano
Ilocano people
The Ilocano or Ilokano people are the third largest Filipino ethnolinguistic group. Aside from being referred to as Ilocanos, from "i"-from, and "looc"-bay, they also refer to themselves as Samtoy, from the Ilocano phrase "sao mi ditoy", meaning 'our language here.' The word "Ilocano" came from...
cuisine. It is made by fermenting salted anchovies which is not designed, nor customarily used for immediate consumption since it is completely raw. Therefore it is used as a cooking ingredient, upon when it is cooked alone, it can be used as an accompaniment to traditional food dishes. To most Westerners unfamiliar with this condiment, the smell can be extremely repulsive. Bagoong is however, an essential ingredient in many curries and sauces.
This bagoong is smoother than bagoong terong
Bagoong Terong
Bagoong Terong or bagoong, and bugguong in the Ilocano language, is a common ingredient used in the Philippines and particularly in Northern Ilocano cuisine. It is made by salting and fermenting the bonnet mouth fish. This bagoong is coarser than Bagoong Monamon, and contains fragments of the...
, however, 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
Fish sauce
Fish sauce is a condiment that is derived from fish that have been allowed to ferment. It is an essential ingredient in many curries and sauces. Fish sauce is a staple ingredient in numerous cultures in Southeast Asia and the coastal regions of East Asia, and features heavily in Thai and Vietnamese...
, 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.
Bagoong is used as a flavor enhancing agent, in the place of salt
Salt
In chemistry, salts are ionic compounds that result from the neutralization reaction of an acid and a base. They are composed of cations and anions so that the product is electrically neutral...
, soy sauce
Soy sauce
Soy sauce is a condiment produced by fermenting soybeans with Aspergillus oryzae or Aspergillus sojae molds, along with water and salt...
, or monosodium glutamate
Monosodium glutamate
Monosodium glutamate, also known as sodium glutamate or MSG, is the sodium salt of glutamic acid, one of the most abundant naturally occurring non-essential amino acids....
. It is used in creating the fish stock that is the base for many Ilocano dishes, like pinakbet
Pinakbet
Pinakbet or pakbet is a popular Ilocano dish, from the northern regions of the Philippines, although it has become popular throughout the archipelago. The word is the contracted form of the Ilocano word pinakebbet, meaning "shrunk" or "shriveled"...
, or as a dressing to greens in the dish called kinilnat 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.
In other areas of the Philippines, this type of bagoong can be named for the locale they came from, eg; bagoong balayan (which is produced in the coastal town of Balayan in the Province of Batangas).