tungog

A bundle of tungog, the kind of tanbark used by manangguete to flavor their tuba in Leyte, Bohol, Cebu and other places in Visayas and Mindanao.

 

tungog - /tu-ngòg/ Cebuano and Boholano fermentation agent/tanning agent [n.] tanbark \mangrove tanbark (Bot.name: Ceriops tagal  (Perr.) C.B.Rob.).

Other local common names:

• barok in Tagalog and Waray

The dried bark of a certain kind of mangrove tree is called “marka tungog” or “tangal” in Palawan and Tawi-Tawi provinces. The bark of this tree is used in Visayas and Mindanao as a flavoring for tuba (coconut wine). It gives the Visayan tuba its bitter taste and distinctive maroon color. In Mindanao, their tuba with tungog has a pale orange color as it has lesser tungog compared to how generous the Visayan manangguetes would put too much tungog in their tuba. 

Tungog would cause the natural fermentation of alcohol and prevents the souring of tuba when producing bahal (old tuba) and bahalina (aged tuba). The flavor makes aged tuba compete in taste with any of the western red wines.

Tungog is pounded into bits or even smaller than what is shown in the picture when used as fermentation agent of tuba. 

In Visayas and Mindanao, tungog has the following descriptive names: 

• binukbok - tungog that is pounded into coarse bits and pieces.

• pinulpog - tungog that is pounded further into finer bits or pulverized.

• inigot - when tungog is sliced so thinly using razor sharp blade, like sundang, sanggalab, kutsilyo, etc. and the slices are broken into fine bits and pieces.

Most Asian countries also used this mangrove tanbark in the industrial process of tanning hides of animals to make leather. The bark would also be served as a dye in tanning leather products, giving the leather a brown-orange to light brown color.

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

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