Bagnet (
Northern Ilocano and Tagalog pronunciation: ,
Southern Ilocano pronunciation: ), also locally known as "chicharon" or in
Ilocano,
is a Filipino dish consisting of pork belly (''liempo'') boiled and
deep fried until it is crispy. It is seasoned with garlic, black peppercorns, bay leaves, and salt. First, the meat is boiled, and, then allowed to thoroughly drain excess moisture overnight before frying, to achieve its characteristic
chicharon-like texture. Bagnet can be eaten on its own or with white rice. It can also be used as an ingredient or paired with other dishes like
pinakbet
(also called ) is a traditional Filipino cuisine, Filipino vegetable dish that originates from the Ilocos Region of the Philippines. The dish consists of a variety of vegetables and flavored with Bugguong, bugguóng munamón (bagoóng isdâ or ...
and
dinardaraan.
Bagnet is traditionally dipped in vinegar-based sauces (usually ''
sukang iloko''), ''
bagoong'' (fermented fish or
shrimp paste
Shrimp paste or prawn sauce is a Fermentation, fermented condiment commonly used in Southeast Asian cuisine, Southeast Asian and Coastal Chinese cuisines. It is primarily made from finely crushed Shrimp and prawn as food, shrimp or krill mixed ...
), or (more rarely) pig's blood.
Etymology
Bagnet came from the word ''"bagnetin"'', which means to “preserve the pork”. They are preserved by boiling and frying the slabs of pork before refrigerating, and then twice fried when ready to serve.
In popular culture
The popularity of bagnet served as a character plot point in the
Filipino film
The cinema of the Philippines began with the introduction of the first film, moving pictures to the country on August 31, 1897, at the ''Salón de Pertierra'' in Manila. The following year, local scenes were shot on film for the first time by a S ...
''
I'm Drunk, I Love You'' with Carson, played by
Maja Salvador, depicted craving for the dish
to the point of creating an impromptu "bagnet dance" to celebrate it.
See also
*
Crispy pata
*
Lechon kawali
References
{{Philippine cuisine
Philippine pork dishes
Deep fried foods
Ilocano cuisine