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Talibubu: A fish dish with a strange name and familiar taste
Want some variety to your fish? If you like it creamy, herby, and with a slight kick, the province of Rizal's talibubu dish may just be your cup of tea (or plate of seafood).
Named after a rattan fishing implement, the talibubu is a unique variant of the ginataang isda. The dish uses a creamier form of coconut milk in tandem with vinegar, resulting in a tanginess not normally expected from a mild dish.
The province of Rizal's talibubu is made with tilapia, most likely caught from the Laguna de Bay and referred to as an isdang tabang, or a freshwater fish. Vinegar is the main ingredient of the dish, along with kakang gata and alagaw, as GMA News' "Saksi" featured Tuesday.
Talibubu. Screenshot from Saksi video
Kakang gata is made from the first pressing of grated matured coconut or niyog, and is thicker and creamier than the subsequent pressings. Meanwhile, alagaw is used in medicines, and is endemic to the Philippines.
According to Rizal province native Lorna Guillermo, cooking talibubu involves tossing garlic, onion, and ginger a saucepan with minimal oil. Once warm, the tilapia is added with a bit of water before it is halfway submerged in vinegar. Gata is added once the vinegar has boiled. While it is added last, the gata seeps through the flesh of the tilapia, ensuring each bit of fish is rich with the taset of coconut cream. Although the alagaw's herby flavor should be present, stewing it a long time in vinegar removes the taste.
A fishy place to eat
Fish-based dishes may be uncommon in Rizal, but one restaurant in the province of Laguna owes its name to fish dishes.
Resort restaurant Isdaan allows guests to fish for their meal and go on boat rides around the resort-on-stilts.
Although meaty fares are more common in Paseo Rizal in Taytay, they are perfectly matched to the restaurant's Baguio-like temperatures. — Rie Takumi/VC, GMA News
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