Fried "Tinapa" (Smoked Fish)

Tinapa is the Tagalog term for smoked fish. It can be fried before serving and eaten with boiled rice and chopped tomatoes. Aside from being added to sauteed mung beans, tinapa flakes are also used as toppings for pancit palabok. There are many types of tinapa, based on the type of fish subjected to the smoking process. Probably the most popular one is tinapang bangus (smoked milkfish).

I bet those who grew up in the 80s still remember the lyrics to Tinapang Bangus. It was a song which was popularized by Kiko Matsing (Kiko the Monkey) in the children's television program Batibot. Moreover, the popularity of the tinapa has found its way in profanities. Anak ng tinapa (literally translated as "child of the smoked fish") is a common swearing expression in Tagalog.

Shown below is fried tinapang galunggong (smoked round scad). As mentioned before, we ate those delicacies with boiled rice and chopped tomatoes. The frying process, however, got a bit out of control. The tails of one of the ill-fated fishes got removed! On the plus side, the bones also turned crispy enough to eat.