Of bolináw (anchovy fry) we like to quip that if you are looking for some, you can’t find any, but if you’re not, well, let’s just say that last week at the Bato market, we found really nice ones — just the right size, not too tiny as to turn to mush when cooked, and not too big that they remind you of baby lizards — at ₱180 a kilo. Bolináw by the kilo! Around here, we only get them by the tumbler, which holds about half a cup (take note of the concave bottom), and that depends on how lightly the vendor piles the fish on. “Are you sure you want to sell that stuff?” my mother would ask. “You seem hesitant with the spoon.”
The ginamós (fermented fish) shown here was made from a different batch of smaller fry. It’s what’s called a sinabado (literally, “from one Saturday to the next,” which is how long it’s supposed to keep) — that is, lightly salted, with a cup of sea salt to five of the fish. That’s it, basically. After rinsing and draining, you combine the fish with fine sea salt, then keep the mixture in a covered container in the refrigerator, and everyday for the next three to four days you take it out to turn the mixture over to make sure everything is evenly salted, adding a little water if too dry. Serve with kalamansi juice, (spiced) vinegar, or both. Not too much, hey; I said “lightly salted,” but only in comparison to regular ginamós. Keep in mind that it’s a condiment, not a dish, okay? That’s why I decided to post this ahead of my promised post on yet another tahong dish. Now you know what I’m making it with. Beware.
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