biti

biti - /bi-tì/ (Bicolano [Camarines sur] preserved) [n.] dried swim bladder of abo fish.

Abo fish (tiger toothed croaker)  is a kind of fish found in the seas of Camarines Sur in Bicol.

When dried and uncooked, biti is flat and leathery.

Biti is rare and pricey when available. 

As of 2009, a kilo of biti is worth around P1,200.00 in Naga City.  In 2015, it is sold at P2,500.00 a kilo in Naga City and up to P3,000.00 or more in other places outside the city.

Dried biti I bought from the public market of Legazpi City in 2015.

This dried internal organ of abo fish can hardly be found being processed, dried, and sold outside Camarines Sur in Bicol or anywhere else in the country.

Biti would expand and swell like a balloon when pan-fried. 

It is cooked by pan-frying on low to medium fire. It would swell and turns crisp like chicharon when cooked. Must be taken away from the pan when already golden brown. Otherwise, it will turn dark and darker, which means biti is getting burned and bitter to taste.

Pan frying has to be done quickly on medium fire. Biti would easily get scorched and burned. It must be golden brown when cooked, not dark brown.

It can be served as a breakfast meal with sinangag na kanin (pan-fried rice) and sunny-side-up chicken egg or served as a snack or pulutan (food served along with alcoholic drinks). 

Dried biti is very light in weight, almost like that paper.

A handful of biti I found in the public market of Legazpi City in 2015.

A sheet of dried biti found in the People's Mall (a public market) of Naga City in 2015.

10 grams of biti is priced at PHP250 in 2015 when I found it in the People's Mall ( a public market) of Naga City in 2015. 

A handful of biti from the public market of Naga City

A pack and a handful of biti. I found this in the public market of Naga City during one of my travels in Camarines Sur (Bicol) in 2009

All photos by Edgie Polistico in this blog are copyrighted. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

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igado

igado – /i-ga-dó/ (Ilocano dish) [n.] braised strips of meat, liver, and other internal organs.

Other local names:

• a.k.a higado or dinaldalem in Ilocano

Ragout of atay ng baboy (pig’s liver), the liver is cut into strips and marinated in vinegar for a while. Other ingredients include some thin strips of sliced pork, sliced pig’s kidney, heart, lapay & isaw (intestine), strips of kamote (sweet potatoes) or patatas (potato), and thick strips of ginger. Cooking starts with sautéing of chopped onions and garlic (if there are pork fats, fry it first then use the lard in sautéing), then all ingredients, except the liver are added into the pan. 

When the color of the ingredients turns opaque, it is a sign that the stuff is heated well. Toyo (soy sauce) is then added with some vinegar, peppercorn, bay leaf, and garbanzos (chickpeas). If the soup dries out while simmering, A cup or two of water is added to continue simmering until the meat is tender. 

When meat is tender, the liver is added followed by some pieces of siling haba (finger chili). Salt and pepper may be added to adjust the taste. 

The liver is the last ingredient to be cooked into the pan as it easily hardens when cooked, the longer it is heated the tougher it becomes. 

To add a complimenting colorful garnishment, add pre-cooked green peas and sliced carrots when cooking is about to finish.

Igado is being served in a roadside bulalohan in Binalonan, Pangasinan.

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Let us know your opinion on the subject. Feel free to comment in the comment section, below. It is important for us to know what you think.

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For more about Filipino food, see  this Philippine Food, Cooking, and Dining Dictionary. It is OPEN and FREE.

Continue to follow my blogs. You can also follow and learn more by joining us in our Facebook group. Have more bits and pieces about our kind of food, ingredients, and ways of cooking, dining, and knowing food culture across the 7,641 islands of the Philippines.  

Encouragement and enthusiasm are not enough. I also need moral support, prayers, and anything else that can uplift my spirit and keep my good reasons. Keep them coming. All I know is that I am happy with what I am sharing and giving away. If you are pleased and happy with what I am doing, just smile and please share the happiness. Keep sharing and include to share the PHILIPPINE FOOD ILLUSTRATED. I feel energized when my blog becomes one of the reasons why you are happy and smiling. 

Edgie Polistico