I know: I have been carping about there being almost nothing but tuna at the market lately. But when I spied these smoked mangkô in Bato, I could not have been more excited.
Understand that we do not get much of smoked anything here. Or maybe we do, but ever since the preserved produce section was moved across the square from the wet market, I have rarely ventured there. It is not worth risking heatstroke traversing the exposed courtyard. And what do you find when you get there? Salt on most everything.
That’s not to say that the tinapá was salty — far from it. And, if I have to be honest, far from being remarkable as well. At ₱35, it cost 40% more from last February. In contrast, the bamboo shoot we bought as an afterthought turned out top-notch, with nary a hint of bitterness (bamboo shoot ranges from bitter to not at all depending on the variety). Together with shiitake mushrooms and coconut cream, they made for an excellent tinunuan. Some also went into fried rice, which my mother thought good (I didn’t), and, for lunch the next day, law-oy (mixed vegetable soup).
In any case, did the smoked fish add anything special to those dishes? That would be a no. It did what it had to do without calling attention to itself, it might as well have been plain grilled or fried.
Whatever. I have had it with the scombrid/tuna family for now. Except for the canned sort — have I mentioned how enamored I am with the Safcol brand these days? Even better than Sirena, I tell you. As per their press, the tuna they use are exclusively caught by line and pole fishing. That sounds a lot more romantic than nilambohan, which is exactly what it is, and fresher besides for having been caught nearby, but you try telling my old man that; he has been snubbing the fresh stuff well before the glut, and yet you can count on him to open a can for his daily afternoon snack.
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