Illegal Pinamalhan:Lupuy or Siliniasi

                   

One fine morning at the onset of sunrise, I drove  to the Iloilo Central Market to see if there is something interesting for breakfast  at the fresh fish section. In one of the stalls, I came across a small pile of small fish nestled on a banana leaf. They were a bunch of lupuy (larvae of sardines) that the  fishmonger offered for a song. First thing that came to my mind was pinamalhan. For our  non-Filipino friends, Pinamalhan is a way of cooking fish in a shallow pan or earthenware with vinegar and spices till the acid dries up. Mala means dry. It is also a traditional cooking technique developed way back when refrigeration was unheard of. The vinegar preserves the fish sans the aid of General Electric or Frigidaire.

The other method of cooking  is to charcoal broil these small herrings  with the condiments wrapped in banana leaves. . This method creates another layer of flavor to the fish.Equally delicious like the Pinamalhan.  Because I was so excited to have the fish on the breakfast table on time, I didn't bother my all-around sidekick, who was still snoring anyway because of Tanduay  rum overdose, to go and cut some banana leaves.

Segue to Canada. . . .

I was running a little research on the lupuy on the net and this is what  I stumbled upon. According to a Philippine Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources(BFAR)  memo  dated 1939 signed by a certain Benigno Aquino, the incumbent Secretary of Agriculture and Commerce during that era( i wasn't even a speck of creation then), "It shall be unlawful for any person, association,or corporation to kill or catch, or cause to be killed or caught or taken from these waters, purchase, sell, offer or expose for sale, any sexually mature sardines,or herrings, or their larvae of young known as siliniasi or lupoy during the closed season from November 15 to March 15, inclusive of every year, in that portion of the Visayan Sea, north of the island of Negros and between the northern parts of the island of Panay and Cebu."

Hahaha.So I broke the law by purchasing those delicious lupuys and ate them with steaming rice like there was no tomorrow. And that was last January during the prohibited season.Gee. I didn't know buying those is illegal as smoking pot.  Really,why are the  authorities beginning to deprive  us as  the most enjoyable things( i don't mean the pot) in life by making them illegal.Look  at what the Chicago authorities did to the foie gras.

Ok. let the BFAR authorities catch me if they can. But before tightening the noose on an inconsequential small fry like myself, let them catch the Big Fishes first-- those  big time businessmen earning millions engaged in illegal fishing right under their noses.

Right now I am thinking of cooking lupuy wrapped in marijuana leaves.I think it's gonna be heavenly.

Hey, don't call the cops. I'm just kidding.

Comments

[MigoMo]

We won't squeel if you send us some. The lupoys, I mean, wrapped in those "veggies". On the other hand, even just the veggies will do!!!

[perkycinderella]

Nami man ini kung banigan mo sang dahon sang bayabas! The taste is...SUBLIME!

[angelo]

perkycinderella,

is there a name to the lupuy cooked on guava leaves?

unfortunately there are no guava leaves down here.

i can imagine the taste though.

[perkycinderella]

Angelo,

Pinamalhan nga ginbanigan sang dahon bayabas ang tawag naton sina. Noexact name.

[perkycinderella]

Angelo,

Pair this pinamalhan with laswa sus, sa akon this is a real treat especially here in Boston. Namiton gid ya ah!