tinenneb a buntiek, broiled mudfish sour soup

Tinenneb a buntiek (attasi)

When it comes to food, regionally and hence, culturally, Ilokanos love bitter foods, just as the Tagalog prefer sour ones (the famous sigang or sinigang comes to mind). But of course, we Ilokanos also love sour and sourness. We even have our own concoction and fermentation of vinegar--the famous suka Iloko or sugarcane vinegar which goes with our basi wine making industry (when our old folks make basi, they also make suka, inevitably and not only when a basi fails to ferment into wine but turn sour and instead becomes a fine suka).

And so, the Ilokano, too, has some sour dishes to serve. We have sour/soured soup like the famous paksiw of Ilocos Norte and sinanglaw of Ilocos Sur, boiled beef and innards soured with suka Iloko or with tamarind (young pods and/or the flower and shoots) or with pias (kamias). Sometimes, the Ilokano pinapaitan (way different from the maasim na papaitan of the Tagalogs which is not mapait at all but all asim), bitter as it is, is also mildly moderated with souring agents like suka Iloko or pias and salamagi. And yessir, we love sinigang, too, and we have our own version of it, simply called inalseman.

And then, we have the simpliest of simple tinenneb (also called inalseman or sinalamagian [in our place, we call it nadanuman a tinaltal a salamagi [just plain crushed tamarind with water flavored with salt and a pinch of umami (MSG)] bacause we make it even without the obligatory broiled fish]).

Simple because preparing it is not that complicated. All you need is fish, broiled (although of course, mudfish is most preferred [the smaller or medium-sized ones], and especially the ar-aro fish which by the way is becoming a rare species nowadays; paltat (catfish) is also used, and even tilapia, but the tastiest for this soup dish is buntiek/dalag/attasi and ar-aro).

And of course, young tamarind pods, and optionally, some onions (young ones with leaves would be perfect) for an added zing, and optionally according to preference, chili, for an spicy soup.

And of course, water, hot water (could also be cold water, but it should be hot so that it goes well with the tenneb process to be true to its very name--it's like panagtenneb iti mapanday a buneng, the forging of a blade, the tempering and quenching of the hot metal using water to cool it and thus hardening the blade).

And salt to taste, of course.

You crush the tamarind to render its juice and sourness (do not crush the seeds, though), you flake the broiled fish into pieces. Put these in a bowl and then pour into it hot water. Season with salt. Put in chopped onions. The hot water will "cook" the soup. And it's done!

The soup is heavenly, its sourness is so deliciously insane, all the more enhanced by the fragrance and umami-ness of the broiled fish. Spike it with fresh chilis and help yourself savoring more of this perfect Ilokano sour soup.

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saluyot & buntiek, soured saluyot stew with grilled mudfish

I usually cook saluyot solo and the usual Ilokano way: napaksiw, napakbet, tinimtiman, inalseman. Whatever you may call it, it's the same: soured, with either plain vinegar or with souring agents such as sour fruits like pias, kalamansi or dalayap juice, green mango, young tamarind (fruit and/or leaves) and even with lubeg fruit. But for me, the best alsem to cure a paksiw a saluyot is the famous suka iloko (sugar cane vinegar) right from the Ilocos.

Here, I made another tinimtiman a saluyot, soured with sugarcane vinegar, and this time, I added a grilled buntiek (small mudfish; also called attasi, and if larger, it's burikaw or just the generic name dalag) to add more flavor for an absolutely gorgeous and delicious pinakbet a saluyot.

Just take a look at it, how amazing this beloved Ilokano dish has become:

These are the blessed buntieks that I grilled. One of them luckily mingled and blended with my pinakbet a saluyot:

Here are just photographs of the heavenly dish I painstakingly created, enough perhaps to titillate your palate. But surely, you folks want to know how it came to be like this, one of the most delicious thing that I happen to cook, from the plainest of all, the lowly saluyot, now made a kind of exotic gourmet dish with that grilled buntiek atop it, basking in its all glorious deliciousness.

I just spiced it with lots of garlic, onions, ginger and of course, bugguong and suka iloko. I let the concoction boil quickly and simmer before adding the saluyot. I also added here leaves and stalks of young sweet onions. I didn't add water, I just let the bugguong and vinegar and the natural moistness of the saluyot leaves form and concoct a wonderful broth. I cooked it in low fire, slowly, so it will not burn underneath (maksetan).

I cooked the saluyot until all is wilted and a kind of slippery, and then I added the natuno a buntiek and let the broth simmer and thicken until almost dry. I made sure there is a broth left to flavor the tinimtiman and the steamed rice thereafter.

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More...

• saluyot a napakbet iti lubeg, lubeg-soured saluyot stew
• dalag/attasi/burikaw/buntiek (mudfish, snakefish)
• classic dinengdeng: rabong & saluyot
• saluyot and rabong variation--with bulong-sili, kalunay and utong
• saluyot & tarong

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dinengdeng a bunga ti singkamas, jicama fruit stew

Buridibod a bunga ti singkamas, pallang, ken tugi.

Been years, decades even, since the last time that I’ve got the opportunity to enjoy dinengdeng a singkamas, yes, singkamas, jicama, but I’m not talking about its delicious root, but of the fruit. Specifically the fruit or the young pod of singkamas vine growing wild and abundant, climbing up shrubs and trees in Casantolan, my place of birth, in Nueva Vizcaya.

Unfortunately, I didn’t see any jicama fruit in the local markets I’ve been to on my market forays here in Cagayan. I was wondering why, perhaps Cagayanos didn’t like, or maybe even didn’t know that singkamas fruit is edible and perfect for dinengdeng and pinakbet?

In Casantolan, we usually cook singkamas fruit as a dinengdeng soured with young salamagi (tamarind) fruit. The sourness maintains the crispness and texture of the singkamas pod and neutralizes its mild bittery taste. It’s good as a solo dinengdeng. Or with saluyot. Or with pallang and sabunganay and patani or with alukon. It’s also a perfect companion for that sweet buridibod. It also goes so well with pinakbet.

My quest for singkamas fruit here in Cagayan was finally over when I saw this singkamas vine on a wall of a certain house right in the center of the town no less, in Allacapan:

How so lovely, the pods are:

And I was so lucky that day, indeed, for when we stopped over at the talipapas along the highway in Nassiping, Gattaran, I saw this, behold, the elusive vegetable fruit of my childhood is right there before my still unbelieving eyes:

I dreamt of a sinalamagian (tamarind-soured) dinengdeng a bunga ti singkamas, but then I can’t find salamagi amongst the goods being sold. I instead saw this bunch of tugi (lesser yam):

The tugi will make a good buridibud with singkamas. I also bought some pallang. And here’s my bounty for the day:

Gorgeous pods, aren’t they?

Singkamas fruit has tiny brownish hairs on its skin, this is itchy to the skin and may cause an allergy of sort, so be careful handling the pods:

Small “native” pallangs, which is just the right partner of the singkamas fruit:

Here, wash and rinse the singkamas pods thoroughly and repeatedly to discard the itch-causing hair:

When it’s immaculately cleaned, cut the “starts” and “end” and then break open the pods in twos:

Do the same with the pallang:

“Skin” the tugi and cut it:

The trio is ready:

Cook the tugi first with the boiling water diluted with bugguong and with some slices of onion. When the yam is cooked, put in the singkamas and pallang. Get to a quick boil. Do not overcook the veggies, it should be crisp, green, but tender:

Heres’s the buridibod, it’s so insanely delicious though it’s just a simple basic dinengdeng/buridibod  (I didn’t add any sagpaw;  though, if it’s available, it will be great with grilled fish like tilapia, bangus, dalag or paltat, or with dried fish and shrimp, or with smoked fish, or even with grilled chicken). I mashed some tugi cubes into the little soup for a thicker and sweeter broth:

I really relished this dinengdeng, eating with so much gusto while reminiscing my childhood days in Casantolan…

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daludal, sagibsib, taro shoots/suckers

Paksiw (inalseman) a daludal.

Aba (gabi, taro), besides its preferred leaves and stems, and its inevitable bagas (corm), is also an important vegetable specially among Ilokanos because of its daludal (or sagibsib, also sammimit), the shoot or sucker which grows from the corm. It can be consumed as regular veggie and can be in the company of other leafy greens and veggie fruits for a delicious and hearty dinengdeng, prized for its slimy texture akin to a saluyot. It can be cooked in coconut milk just like laing. Or as a solo dinengdeng with broth. Or as a paksiw or pakbet (soured), cooked dry.

Daludal for sale in a roadside talipapa.

Daludal being cleaned and readied for the next dinengdeng or paksiw.

Cleaned daludal ready for cooking.

Paksiw a daludal done. Cook it just like a dinengdeng, only, use a small amount of water boiled for the bugguong. Add-in crushed garlic, ginger, onions. And sour it with some drops of vinegar (don't put in too much vinegar). Or green mangoes, if available. Or pias (kamias). Or young tamarind fruit. That's it. Cook it well to prevent "itchiness" (just like the way you cook taro's leaves, stems, corm).

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dinengdeng nga aba, stewed taro leaves/stems/roots

Aba. Gabi. Taro. Somewhat a staple root vegetable in Pinoy cuisine, specifically in Bicol where its stalks especially its leaves, fresh or dried, is prized for the hot (spiced with lots of chilis) and coconut-milky laing or ginataang gabi (cooked in coconut milk). Ilokano simply make dinengdeng nga aba (stewed,boiled in bugguong broth)or sour it as paksiw nga aba, stalks (stem), leaves and with the root (called corm; laman, bagas). Yes, we Ilokanos usually gather taro as a whole plant, pulling it out from its roots. Which is a no-no for some in Bicolandia as they retain the roots so that new stalks and leaves will grow for the next gathering/harvesting--they love and prize their taro plants that much that they can't afford to uproot it and eat it whole!

Aba for sale in a roadside talipapa in Gattaran, Cagayan.
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Aba with roots and stalks. And some tender leaves. The mature leaves of taro is not usually cooked as dinengdeng because it's itchy. 
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Panagdalus or panagimuri. This is how I clean and prepare the aba for my dinengdeng. I removed the thin peel of the stalks. Careful when cleaning taro stalks as the hands might got some itchiness, an allergic reaction to the sap. Use gloves or sprinkle salt on your hands to prevent getting itchy.
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The aba cooking in a pot. I boiled the bugguong first, put in some crushed ginger and garlic and some onions and then the cut aba stems and corm, plus some leaves. It's that simple. Cook the aba for some time and don't stir else it becomes itchy (on the mouth, especially on the throat!). Undercooked aba is also itchy, sometimes. Some old folks believe that not all can cook a not itchy dinengdeng nga aba. I tend to believe because there are some friends I know that never cook an aba dish because when they tried it, it so nabudo (nagatel, itchy)! But I believe more it's on the way you cook it, just cook it well and avoid stirring while the aba is being cooked. Meanwhile, besides plain dinengdeng, a more delicious dish is paksiw nga aba or soured. I made mine paksiw by adding little vinegar. Instant tamarind mix is also good. But if you have fresh tamarind fruit, use it instead. Green mangos is also a perfecty souring agent. As well as fresh pias (kamias). 
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Dinengdeng/paksiw nga aba done! Fortunately i've made it again--it's not that itchy although honestly the aba has made some parts of my hands red with itch. The broth is just minimal, thickened by the corm (root). Sagpaw or add-in is usually a must for this kind of dish, but I opted to make it just pure aba. You can add in dried or smoked paste in it, or even meat.
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This is my other aba dish I cooked months earlier: ginettaan nga aba (semi-laing in that it has bagas or corm. I used freshly squeezed coconut milk, not the canned one.
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Ginettaan nga aba and its usual partner in crime: sili! :-)
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Another dinengdeng/paksiw nga aba. Photo by Leilanie Adriano.
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Another laing dish. Photo from Ilokano Food.
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Yet another ginettaan nga aba, cooked dry and soured with pias.
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