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.
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This article is published as: Filipino Cuisine: Dried Fish
I love the taste of salted fish! I don't think I've ever come across this dried fish, but it sounds very similar to something I had in New Mexico, so for all I know, it could have been this…
Thanks for a great article!
Just wait until you smell it. The best way of putting it: it smells like your grandmas underpants if she hasn't showered in a month. No joke!!
Once you live in such a beautiful country, one starts real living and only then you feel good and when you feel good you can share because cuisine is very difficult to share.
cuisine design
Tuyo is not limited to small fishes and not all are eaten whole or not all Filipinos eat them whole.
It's usually herring, there are small mackerels too but the one you said eaten wholly might be 'sapsap' which has no english equivalent.
people can't handle eating dried fish, but eating a salted dried pig’s leg aka ham is fine with them…
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Pig's feet? No thanks! I'd rather eat the dried fish.
Just had Daing bangus (dried milkfish) tonight for the first time. It was masarap! not a small fish like you described, but larger, about 12inches long. Very meaty and not too salty, only the skin was crunchy. Delicious served with a sauce of vinegar, soy sauce, green onions and garlic. I'm not a big fan of eating fish whole, even small ones.
daing is very cheap in phil its like 10 peso 1 fish sliced 2 half 1$=45peso :D
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There are different kinds of dried fish. You should try the one from Bantayan. I just can't live without them. They are unsalted and the smell isn't too strong.
personal cook recently posted..Easy Fish Recipes � Fried Fish With Cottage Cheese
I nearly fell of my chair laughing after reading this article! It's so true. The smell of it when cooking is like something that comes out of your a–…backside. But I love eating it! It's especially tasty when you dip it in native vinegar. If you happen to visit Cebu, the place to buy dried fish is Taboan. Personal Cook commented that you should try getting it from Bantayan. I agree. They're unsalted and the smell is less offensive when cooking it.
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