Eggs & Tomatoes with Bagoong

Bagoong, a Filipino condiment I have learned to love more and more over the years, and still learning to love if I’m being honest. If you haven’t had it before, bagoong (pronounced bah-goh-ong) is a Filipino condiment made from fish or tiny shrimps that are salted/fermented for several weeks. There is an abundance of bagoong variations – with colors from light pink to dark brown and textures from firm to watery. Bagoong is used in many Filipino dishes and a staple if you cook Filipino food. My favorite variation is ginisang bagoong which is sautéed shrimp paste.

My cousin JR on my dad’s side told me this is the way they grew up eating eggs: eggs, tomatoes, onions, and bagoong alaman. I didn’t get to know my dad’s side of the family until I was a young adult, but even if I didn’t get to grow up with them, I at least feel like I’m getting to experience pieces of their childhood by cooking these dishes and variations that they grew up eating. In my cousin’s original version he uses 1 diced roma tomato, ½ medium onion, and 1 tsp bagoong alamang. Once the tomatoes start to wither, add 5 whisked eggs. No need for salt since the bagoong is salty already. My variation of this is as follows (ps. whichever one you follow, it’ll be tasty no matter what!) Thanks to my cuz for sharing these recipes with me, I’m very grateful and happy about it.