jumping salad

Live "salad" of shrimps literally jumping out.

Holy week. Lent. And yes, if we have to be faithful to our faith, we shun meat this week of the year. Which is just good because it's a healthy thing. So let's have some veggies and fish (like the taburkit [monamon] the other day). Or shrimps. And why not "jumping salad," the live shrimp dish preferred by many Pinoys, especially Ilokanos, specifically for pulotan with drinks. It's summer and it's also a time of picnics, usually on the rivers where some rama or puluan (a sort of fish dwelling made with small tree branches or twigs) are waiting to be "maburak" (harvested) for a bountiful catch of freshwater fish, crabs and shrimps for that sumptuous lunch and drinking session by the river bank.

Freshly-caught shrimps (click photo for a larger view).

The shrimps have to be washed and rinsed thoroughly to remove any dirt (click photo for a larger view).

The secret to a real delicious jumping salad is freshly picked calamansi squeezed right on the jumping shrimps. You may use vinegar to sour your salad, but it's not as palatable and aromatic as calamansi, or lemon for that matter (click photo for a larger view).

Add some salt, cover the shrimps if they keep on jumping out, or just pick them up and dunk it straight in to your eager mouth, heheh (click photo for a larger view).

Add some young onions, spice it with chili if you prefer  (click photo for a larger view).  

Here's it's ready, pick them up and enjoy your meal or your drinks with this really "live" dish (click photo for a larger view).

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