Bangus - the Philippine National Fish

Bangus fish, originally uploaded by Eric Gozar.

Five pieces left on a market vendor's tray.

The fish is likened to the fish described in the Bible.

Milkfish, a farmed fish that grows to sizable proportions if left in large lakes and the open sea. Often comes back to breed in a lake where water is slightly brackish. But now, this fish as a food for the masses, is farmed in many communities in the nation. It is cooked in a hundred different ways by the locals. Served with broth, simply fried, baked and garnished, sauteed in garlic, onions and tomatoes, it is a delicacy almost anywhere you go. But the most famous way of cooking this fish is by broiling it. The locals calls it "Inihaw na Bangus" (grilled bangus).

The fish used to be only caught in the brackish waters of the Philippine islands. Soon it was farmed by many hands in several fish farming communities of the land. But alas, some countries stole the fingerlings from locals and brought it to their homelands to copy the fish farming techniques. Now those neighboring nations also has this Filipino fish - Bangus!

The wild version of this fish could grow to sizable proportions as large as 3 feet long and this type of bangus is called "Banglis", now rarely caught even in large inland lakes. In Naujan Lake, this fish is caught by fishing line, but the government has disallowed fishing this fish in protected lakes.

Markets around the entire Philippines sells this fish more than any kind on the market as it is the favourite of many locals.