25 January 2010  Salinity: High  R's plate: salted egg, a relish
of onions, tomatoes, and bagoong, seaweed salad, local sitao,
and the malaga fish.  One thing that drives me mad about being
outside Manila is the salty food. Whereas, native residents may
be drinking or eating something that just about cancels the ill
effects out, I tend not to know what that is (I tried more
water, really), and I end up feeling parched.  Sinigang na
malaga with the curiously non-hot local green peppers.  Batac
longanisa, a bit sweeter than the one from Paoay, but still
loads of vinegar.  Though sometimes they can be overzealous in
their use of local salt and bagoong, Ilocanos make dishes that
are always top-notch, if you add a bit of water when no one is
looking. And besides, very few cuisines in the Philippines can
rival small-town Ilocos' freshness and high vegetable ratio.
Pinakbet with local sitao and small sigarillas.  In the larger
Laoag market's second floor, the vegetables tend towards Chinese
imports (you know, large