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The “healthy” bits
Cut
bagnet
into small
bits for
ensalada,
or
turnminced portions
into a garnish for
vegetable dishes.
PHOTOS
ALARIC YANOS
Bagnet
is the
quintessential Ilocano
dish: rich and flavorful
Bagnet
Visit any local wet market and you’ll
find curtains of thick, dry and brown
meat hanging from the stalls. The
bagnet
is bacon’s wilder cousin and is
notorious for the way it is prepared: the
pork belly is salted, boiled, dried and
deep-fried — twice.
The height of
decadence
At the height of the galleon trade
between Manila and Acapulco in the late
1700s, vast tracks of tobacco-growing
farms were fueling the decadent lifestyles
of the rich and locally famous.
And how can one speak of decadence
without mentioning
bagnet
? For many,
bagnet
— fatty, crispy and flavorful — is
the best example of the region’s rich
cuisine. It was the ultimate indulgence.
And it still is.
E A T T H I S W A Y