Kelaguen
Encyclopedia
Kelaguen is a Chamoru
dish from The Mariana Islands eaten as a salad/side dish or as a main course. A pickling marinade of lemon juice
, fresh coconut
, green onions
, salt and hot red chilies is used to marinate cooked chicken
, raw shrimp
, fish
or beef
. With the exception of the cooked chicken, the acids in the marinade "cook" the raw shrimp, fish or beef instead of heat. It is served cold or at room temperature and eaten as is, over rice
, or wrapped in a warm corn or flour tortilla (or the Chamoru version, titiyas) with finadene
on the side.
Though a simple dish, kelaguen reflects the complex history of the Micronesia
n archipelago's Hispanic-Asian-influenced native culture. It is similar to South American Ceviche
and Filipino Kinilaw/Kilawin.
Chamorros
The Chamorro people, or Chamoru people, are the indigenous peoples of the Mariana Islands, which include the American territory of Guam and the United States Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands in Micronesia. Today, significant Chamoru populations also exist in several U.S. states...
dish from The Mariana Islands eaten as a salad/side dish or as a main course. A pickling marinade of lemon juice
Lemon juice
The lemon fruit, from a citrus plant, provides a useful liquid when squeezed. Lemon juice, either in natural strength or concentrated, is sold as a bottled product, usually with the addition of preservatives and a small amount of lemon oil.-Uses:...
, fresh coconut
Coconut
The coconut palm, Cocos nucifera, is a member of the family Arecaceae . It is the only accepted species in the genus Cocos. The term coconut can refer to the entire coconut palm, the seed, or the fruit, which is not a botanical nut. The spelling cocoanut is an old-fashioned form of the word...
, green onions
Scallion
Scallions , are the edible plants of various Allium species, all of which are "onion-like", having hollow green leaves and lacking a fully developed root bulb.-Etymology:The words...
, salt and hot red chilies is used to marinate cooked chicken
Chicken
The chicken is a domesticated fowl, a subspecies of the Red Junglefowl. As one of the most common and widespread domestic animals, and with a population of more than 24 billion in 2003, there are more chickens in the world than any other species of bird...
, raw shrimp
Shrimp
Shrimp are swimming, decapod crustaceans classified in the infraorder Caridea, found widely around the world in both fresh and salt water. Adult shrimp are filter feeding benthic animals living close to the bottom. They can live in schools and can swim rapidly backwards. Shrimp are an important...
, fish
Fish
Fish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...
or beef
Beef
Beef is the culinary name for meat from bovines, especially domestic cattle. Beef can be harvested from cows, bulls, heifers or steers. It is one of the principal meats used in the cuisine of the Middle East , Australia, Argentina, Brazil, Europe and the United States, and is also important in...
. With the exception of the cooked chicken, the acids in the marinade "cook" the raw shrimp, fish or beef instead of heat. It is served cold or at room temperature and eaten as is, over rice
Rice
Rice is the seed of the monocot plants Oryza sativa or Oryza glaberrima . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and the West Indies...
, or wrapped in a warm corn or flour tortilla (or the Chamoru version, titiyas) with finadene
Finadene
Finadene is a salty, spicy, sour all-purpose condiment used in Chamorro cuisine. It is made of soy sauce, vinegar or lemon juice, chopped white onion, and fresh chilies. Adding oil and/or water to finadene makes it suitable as an all-purpose marinade...
on the side.
Though a simple dish, kelaguen reflects the complex history of the Micronesia
Micronesia
Micronesia is a subregion of Oceania, comprising thousands of small islands in the western Pacific Ocean. It is distinct from Melanesia to the south, and Polynesia to the east. The Philippines lie to the west, and Indonesia to the southwest....
n archipelago's Hispanic-Asian-influenced native culture. It is similar to South American Ceviche
Ceviche
Ceviche is a seafood dish popular in the coastal regions of the Americas, especially Central and South America. The dish is typically made from fresh raw fish marinated in citrus juices such as lemon or lime and spiced with chilli peppers. Additional seasonings such as onion, salt,...
and Filipino Kinilaw/Kilawin.