Elderly Grandpa Shares Steps in Making Traditional Bagoong Balayan

Elderly Grandpa Still Makes Traditional Bagoong Balayan Despite Old Age

An elderly grandpa named Herme Abad continues to make the traditional bagoong Balayan despite his old age.

The 76-year-old man shared that the ‘tapayan’ or jars he used to make the traditional bagoong Balayan or ‘fish paste’ came from their parents. Initially, Tatay Herme and his wife have only 20 jars but their small business grows.

Mr. Abad was able to buy several sets of jars and 30 drums for mass production. The old man revealed that there are only 10 bagoong balayan makers have been left in the town.

Elderly Grandpa

Lolo Herme said that makers can use different types of fish such as dilis, galunggon and malangsi for bagoong Balayan. He also shared several tips on how to make the traditional bagoong Balayan.

•          Fetch saltwater

•          Clean the fish

•          Pour salt into a huge tub

•          Add the fishes

•          Smash the fish and add salt

•          Pour the finished product into the jars or drums

The senior citizen explained that the whole fermentation process usually took six months. During the hot season, the process can be completed within five months. He also revealed that jars of clay are more effective for the fermentation process compared to plastic drums.

The elderly grandpa sells small bottles of bagoong balayan for only P15 and bigger bottles for P40. He is also selling “Patis” or fish sauce.

Currently, Lolo Herme can’t mass produce ‘fish paste’ due to his limited budget and only waits for customers to visit his home.

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Elderly Grandpa
Elderly Grandpa

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