RSS Feeds: Filipino Cuisine: Dried Fish
While I wouldn't be the person calling Filipino dried fish (tuyo in Tagalog) a cuisine, many Filipinos would beg to differ with me. I'll explain exactly what Filipino dried fish is once I tell you about some of my experiences regarding it.
Filipino Dried Fish in Yuma, Arizona
Prior to getting married to my wife in 1985, I had never tasted or smelled Filipino dried fish. One day when my wife and I were living in our first apartment, in January of 1985, she started cooking some dried fish. I don't remember where she got it. I think one of the other Filipinas living in the apartment complex had brought some back from San Diego, California.
Our apartment was on the second floor and the front door and picture window were adjacent to an outdoor hallway that looks more like a sidewalk — kind of what the Motel 6 looks like. The smell of the dried fish while cooking was horrible, at least in my opinion, but tolerable. Our next-door apartment neighbors didn't think so. The wife came out of her apartment, said something like "What's that smell?", ran back into her apartment and closed her window (that was just like ours).
Filipino Dried Fish in the Philippines
Between 1985 and 2006, I avoided Filipino dried fish like the plague. I had tasted it at least once and it was way too salty to even taste the fish.
Ever since I've lived here, after moving here in 2006, I have smelled the dried fish and watched relatives munching down on it as ulam (main dish) with their rice. I can eat it now without wanting to spit it out, but I still prefer not to eat it at all. The smell doesn't bother me anymore either.
What exactly is Filipino dried fish?
I don't know exactly what species is used, but it's a corned, sun-dried fish that's popular with Filipinos because it won't spoil for weeks, even without refrigeration. The fish are very small, the size of goldfish and they're eaten whole.
They're extremely salty, but most Filipinos like salty foods. I only like salt on french fries, popcorn and as seasoning on certain food. I like the taste of fish, not the taste of the salt. I even like canned tuna better than dried fish.
(Image Source: Everyday Food: 11 Little Tuyo)
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Dried fish is big in China. I can't get used to it either. It must be an acquired taste.
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I used to live in Korea. They sell dried fish at the supermarket. Not bad.
I was starting to think about eating this fish till you said it is about the size of a gold fish. Err, I'm thinking that you're talking about the gold fish that we usually have in fish tanks. :lol I'll look this up on Google!
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Just because you can put it in your mouth and eat it, doesn't mean you should. Man, that just does not sound like food.
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RT I give you credit. I've tasted Filipino food before and I know how it can be an "acquired" taste. Filipino food has the craziest smells and taste.
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Mmm….there's no distinct character to Filipino foods, it's very regional, and some are very "local", some are Spanish or Chinese influenced. Seeing that you're in Hawaii, (I think) Filipinos there are mostly from Ilocos regions, they probably serve you Ilocano dishes, quite different from the Pampangos or Ilongos or Bicolanos. Maybe you haven't had the crispy lechon or adobo, they're easy on the taste bud.
I grew up with lots of smoked fish, which has a beautiful smell.
However after travelling in Africa where many towns and villages have dried fish for sale, the smell of it has put me off the idea of ever trying some!
Tuyo is sun dried salted sardines. Tinapa is smoked herring. Southern Europeans barbecue sardines in the summer. Northern Europeans pickle herring, e.g. roll mops. I love these dried and smoke fish but what I really like from the Visayas is, "danggit", dried ??? (small, flattish) fish. I don't know the actual name but just love it. It doesn't smell as fishy.
Dried fish are likeable in china, they dump and dry it on a salt water, prety good but has a bad smell .. :(