Something fishy

Pangasinan, particularly Lingayen, is very famous for its trademark product--bagoong (fish sauce). For health conscious individuals (and those who despise its smell), bagoong should never be on their table, but for Pangasinenses, this is a staple in every meal that can be a perfect match for its salty taste.

So, how is this very famous sauce that every Pangasinense is craving for being produced? That's what I intended to discover as I featured the product on Talk TV Global's Traveldotcom.

Bringing a cameraman (Kuya Rom) and our brand manager (Reg Agsalon) with me, I visited JB Bernal Bagoong's plant and asked the owner and manager, Daniel Jun Bernal, to discuss with me and my team the process of bagoong making.

This is what greets us as we enter the factory. It's clean and doesn't exhibit any sign of grossness. The smell? The bagoong scent is present of course, but it's not a stench that you will surely hate. As Sir Jun puts it, you can smell the fish sauce's "aroma."

Preparing for the taping. That's Reg Agsalon, Talk TV Global's brand manager, on the laptop and Kuya Rom, our videographer/editor

Well, here’s a huge collection of bottle stoppers. They came from the bottles they bought to serve as containers of their bagoong.

Got my eyes training around the premises. I spotted this cute holder displayed on the rack with their products.

Preparing the fresh fish previously mixed with salt and patis for the grinder.

\

That’s how it looks after getting ground.

The sauce will then be transferred to large plastic drums. A worker will then separate the bones from the liquid to prepare it for fermentation.

These tanks, measuring several feet deep, contain the fish sauce that is left for 2 to 3 months, depending on the kind of fish used, for fermentation…

…to produce this boneless bagoong. Look how clean it is. But before arriving at that result, a worker removes the oil floating on top.

Workers fill these bottles with the sauce and seal them using charcoal—that’s some sort of going back to basics thing considering that most factories nowadays use some kind of a blower in sealing their products.

To ensure the quality of each bottle of fish sauce, workers check them before sealing the boxes and stacking them in the warehouse. These boxes of fish sauce will be sold to dealers and retailers in many parts of Pangasinan, even outside.

And the export quality bagoong that makes your mouth water arrives at your favorite store.

Of course, my visit wouldn’t be complete without tasting the boneless bagoong. Thanks to Sir Jun who served us with this delicious meal. Yum!

It had been a yummy experience at JB Bernal Bagoong. I was supposed to only taste the fish sauce, but my appetite really shot up the moment it landed on my tongue, so there I had more than one helping of the meal. Well, I’m not really a fan of fish sauce, but I cannot deny that it’s really delicious. It’s a must try, so when you visit Pangasinan, never leave without grabbing a lunch with JB Bernal Bagoong as dip. Every bottle contains more than a thousand drops that helps many budget-tight families get by each day—and it only costs P15! For such a low price, every bottle may last for more than a month. Now, don’t you worry about it getting rotten. Like wine, because of fermentation, the older it gets, the tastier it becomes.

Get more of this story from our next episode on Traveldotcom, so stay tuned.