Who would have thought that fish can also be prepared as a subtle for the popular Filipino dish, chicken tinola? With chicken as the main ingredient, this well-known recipe helps Filipinos become more accustomed to foreign flavors. Within the vicinity of Pilar Port in Sorsogon, Masbateรฑo Eatery offers another version of Tinola that perfectly captures Pilareรฑos’ culinary preferences.
‘Kusido’ for Sorsoganons is another name for Tinolang isda. This recipe dates back more than 30 years and was created by Jocelyn Borja’s parents in Masbate.
โMatagal na po, elementary palang po, Iโm 48 now. Minana ko lang po itong Kusido sa nanay ko,โ Borja said in an interview with Bicoldotph.
The use of pure lemon as the souring ingredient distinguishes this Kusido dish from others and makes it impressive. Apart from that, the way this dish is cooked is quite different from what you’re used to.
โSa kanila po hindi kalamansi ang gamit, gumagamit sila ng sachet sinigang mix. Kami po purong kalamansi ang ginagamit naming,โ Rodelyn Lumaban, one of the eatery’s helper explained.
๐๐ก๐๐ฅ๐๐๐๐๐ก๐ง๐ฆ
Simple and everyday ingredients like onions, tomatoes, lemon juice, Talakitok, salt, petchay, and water are all that are needed for this recipe.
๐๐ข๐ข๐๐๐ก๐ ๐ฃ๐ฅ๐ข๐๐๐ฆ๐ฆ
Boil the fish for 10 to 15 minutes.
Remove the foams during boiling because they contribute to the fishy taste and odor of the ‘Talakitok’ fish. After adding salt, tomatoes, and veggies and adjusting the heat to low, add lemon juice to achieve the appropriate level of sourness.
Your Tinolang isda or Kusido is now ready after at least 2-3 minutes.
Masbateรฑo Eatery serves regional cuisine including Kinunot, dinuguan, pork steak, Igado, their best-selling Kusido, and many more from 5:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
The eatery has been around for more than 3 decades because to this Kusido dish, whose special flavor captivated countless Pilareรฑos and even people from other provinces. | Aaron John Baluis
