#daing

[philippinewildlifeart]

Say hello to some of our “rabbits of the sea” - rabbitfish!

Best known to us as buwad or daing, danggit (Bisaya) is an affordable and ancient ingredient harnessed for dried fish. Also known as samaral (Tagalog), kuyug (Batangueño), and kitong (Cebuano), they are not only one of our favorite fish to eat, they themselves love eating plants!

They are known as the ocean’s herbivores (van Beijnen, Yan 2019). Depending on the species and age, they eat different kinds of “vegetables” in the sea, from algae to seagrass (Fishbase). They also help control algae growth in our coral reefs (Mayuga 2023).

There are 28 known species of rabbitfish (FAO), all of them in the genus Siganus. The term “rabbitfish” goes back to the early 19th century in England (OEM), probably because the faces of danggit reminded them of rabbits in their country (though I have yet to confirm this).

Featured here is Badlit or Suwat Binisaya once again, for danggit!

References

Jonah van Beijnen and Gregg Yan 2019 - How a Filipino scientist is making headlines by culturing marine herbivores https://thefishsite.com/articles/how-a-filipino-scientist-is-making-headlines-by-culturing-marine-herbivores

Fishbase - Siganus fuscescens (Houttuyn, 1782) Mottled spinefoot https://www.fishbase.se/summary/siganus-fuscescens.html

Jonathan L. Mayuga, April 1, 2023 - ‘Kuyug’: Calatagan’s famous fish. https://businessmirror.com.ph/2023/04/01/kuyug-calatagans-famous-fish/

FAO. Rabbitfish farming in Asia. https://www.academia.edu/84005560/Rabbitfish_Farming_in_Asia_UN_FAO_2022_?auto=download

Oxford English Dictionary (OEM) - Rabbitfish etymology https://www.oed.com/dictionary/rabbitfish_n?tl=true

[guhitgab]

[filipinofoodart]

Buwad, bulad in Bisaya, or Daing, Tuyo in Tagalog is a classic, country-wide practice and recipe that dates back since time immemorial! It just needs 2-3 ingredients depending on the region: fish, salt, and sun. Other recipes include ginger, vinegar, and/or garlic before the fish is sun-dried for several hours. Some fish are split open like danggit or rabbitfish, while others are kept whole like tunsoy (Tagalog), tabagak (Ilonggo) which are sardines & herrings depending on the region. Being an island nation with 60% of Filipinos living at or near a coastline, and 10 of our largest cities at the coast, it is no surprise that buwad or daing is common all over the country (Philippines Environment Monitor, 2003 World Bank). It's important that we sustain our fish supplies, and establishing marine protected areas or MPAs, is one way this can be done. See Philippine Wildlife Art  for more trivia on MPAs. Artprint: https://society6.com/product/buwad-or-bulad-with-baybayin_print

[filipeanut]

Can you air fry buwad or daing? YES.

[charismandal]

“For what now?”

“Because you’re always the first to save other’s chicken dick, but never bother to ask someone for help. Not even me”

[krazy-ky-sta-hatter]

I don’t know what their official ship name is, but I am calling King and Dianne from Seven Deadly Sins ‘Daing’.

Because I am fucking Daing watching all this fluff, OMG!

[gnotknormal]

Well, sums up whether this relationship will work out or not.