TASTED: MARINATED HOT GALUNGGONG

Source: Investigations of the aquatic resources and fisheries of Port

In the 70s and 80s, the price of  Galunggong (Round scad) was in the forefront of goods used for the Consumer Price index (CPI), an indicator used to measure the rate of inflation and in turn,  the purchasing power of the Philippine peso. If the price of galunggong went up, marketgoers would start complaining and it would be in the news. 

With the advent of commercial fishing and the effects of climate change on our seafood resources, the lowly galunggong has been replaced by instant noodles as an inflation indicator. It has also gone beyond being sold in the wet market and can now be found in supermarkets in plastic packets.

The fish is filleted, deboned, marinated  and ready to cook. It's a practical solution for the urbanite who's either too busy or doesn't know how to clean and prep fresh fish.

It just takes 2-3 minutes to cook it but since I like my galunggong crispy, I cooked it for a couple of minutes more.

The marinade is on the vinegary side and the hotness of the chili is mild. As with anything that's left to marinate for a long time, you tend to taste more of the marinade and less of the fish. After a few bites, I did miss my lola's simple salted version for the galunggong.   

Whenever I crave crispy galunggong, it's a choice I have to make: ready-to-cook fish or fresh fish with all the effort put in. Which one would you choose?