kilawen a babassit a talibukno

This is fresh and raw fish prepared as a "salad" or kilawen. This particular fish is called talibukno (variably identified scientifically as Leiognathus ruconius, Gazza minuta, and others) and fished from Claveria, Cagayan, best as a kilawen at this size of growth, small ones and bite size so you can consume all of it, head and intestines, bones--perfect for a kilawen nga ikan just like that of the munamon/taburkit, or padas, or tirong.

A bounty fresh from the sea:

A kilogram of talibukno for the kilawen:

The preparation. Ginger and onions are a must. And salt, of course.

And a freshly squeezed calamansi juice as a souring agent with a zing (vinegar not recommended):

Mince them finely and mix:

And here it is. It invites you yo bring out your drinks as this is best for pulotan: What's missing here is, of course, sili ti sairo to make this a sure spicy hot kilawen.

Enjoy!

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More kilawen nga ikan:

• Kilawen a tirong, picnic by the beach
• Kilawen a bilis, raw sardine/herring
• Kilawen a sosay (tanigue, tangngigue)
• Kilawen a bilis manen, sardine/herring ceviche
• Kilawen a taburkit/munamon
• Kilawen a pusit/laki

For more Ilokano dishes and others like this kilawen, you can follow Ilokano Food page on Facebook.

Follow also Ilokano Food @ Instagram and subscribe to Ilokano Food YoutTube channel for more photos, videos, and stories about Ilokano food, cooking, cuisine, and culture.

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kilawen a tirong: a picnic by the beach [repost]

Tirong is small saltwater fish. It's called bonnet mouth fish and is the ingredient in the popular bugguong (bagoong, fish sauce/paste) called bugguong a tirong. Tirong when fully grown (to its adult size) is called "dalagang bukid" and is great for sinigang and escabeche or simply as fried. And of course, the inevitable kilawen, freshly caught tirong eaten raw with the pristine saltiness and sweetness and succulence of the raw sea.

Kilawen a tirong.

Stopping by at Candon City on our way to a writer's convention in La Union, we decided to rest awhile and while away the thick and humid Ilocos summer heat and take a dip at the Ilocos Sur sea.

We went to a beach at Barangay Calungboyan and there we were lucky enough to come upon some fishermen who just came ashore in a rakit (balsa, bamboo raft) with their sea bounty.

There, the precious tirong, about 3 kilos of it, the only catch so far of the jolly Ilokano mangngalap (fisherman), besides a single pana-pana (sea urchin) and a baby kurita (octopus).

We bought all the tirong, of course, as we are so over-eager to have a taste of its freshness, its inviting deliciousness, its mouth-watering rawness...

We unanimously voted to have it as kilawen. No way should its freshness and succulence be wasted! And so we simply made it with available condiments. We poured vinegar on the tirong and it's done, it's that simple. With some salt and chili by the side.

You have to pick the tirong by hand, have some salt on it and eat it right on, have your mouth and palate some guilty pleasures. Its flesh is sweetish, a little bitter because of its intact entrails, briny with the natural taste of the raw sea. Eat it all, fishhead and fishbone, it's so small you can chew all its goodness.


And but of course, it's more palatable and with drinks, its inevitable partner. We've got a case of Red Horse Litro to down the great kilawen a tirong.

Ah! Goodness gracious, how refreshing and delectable life could be at the seashore. Life's a beach, indeed!

Drinkers. :-)

Calongbuyan Beach
Candon City, Ilocos Sur.

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More kilawen nga ikan:

• Kilawen a bilis, raw sardine/herring
• Kilawen a talibukno
• Kilawen a bilis manen, sardine/herring ceviche
• Kilawen a taburkit/munamon
• Kilawen a pusit/laki

For more Ilokano dishes and others like this kilawen, you can follow Ilokano Food page on Facebook.

Follow also Ilokano Food @ Instagram and subscribe to Ilokano Food YoutTube channel for more photos, videos, and stories about Ilokano food, cooking, cuisine, and culture.

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kappukan a.k.a. ataata: great ilokano raw meat dish a.k.a. kilawen

Kappukan or ataata is really that great Ilokano dish of raw meat, the most preferred is of course beef, but some love carabao meat or carabeef as well, and goat meat, too. And here are some photographs that could at the very least serve as a proof--just by looking at these delicious photographs won't satisfy your want and craving but what the heck, the eyes, and the mind, can feast as well:

For more Ilokano meat dishes, you can follow Ilokano Food page on Facebook and enjoy more sumptuous photos of kappukan and other meat dishes!

Follow also Ilokano Food @ Instagram and subscribe to Ilokano Food YoutTube channel for more photos, videos, and stories about Ilokano food, cooking, cuisine, and culture.

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More meat dishes:

• Kappukan nga addaan silet, raw beef with tripes
• Pinapaitan a kalding, goat intestines stew
• Imbaliktad soup
• Pinapaitan, the really bitter original innards stew 
• Kilawen a kalding, goat skin, meat, and liver "salad"

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kilawen a taburkit, raw anchovy ceviche

It's Lenten season and so time for some fish. No meat for the week. Fish be with you, fish be with us! And so why not try a fish kilawen? Like taburkit. Or taburtit. Not really exotic because this is not rare fish. It's always available. It's monamon or dilis. Our local anchovy. But taburkit is a different fish from the same anchovy family. It's smaller and more tender which is just suitable and perfect for kilawen or ceviche. Taburkit is aplenty these times of the year along the northwestern coast of Cagayan (Ballesteros, Abulug, Pamplona, Sanchez Mira, Claveria). It is prized as a kilawen and is more preferred than the other bigger and "hard fish boned" monamon.

Taburkit for sale in the public market of Allacapan, Cagayan.

Because it's smaller and its flesh and bone is more tender and succulent, it can be prepared as is, washed and rinsed thoroughly, you don't have to remove its head and entrails because it's tiny you can eat it all and its entrails provide a mild sweetish bitterness that adds to its tastiness; garnish with lots of sliced onions and diced ginger, some salt, and dress it with calamansi. Add in chili for a more spicy treat.

Perfect for pulotan,if you happen to drink liquor this Holy Week ;-)

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