Bangus, the fish most Filipino love

 

Milkfish is an omnivore that lives in the sea, mangrove areas, estuaries, lakes and ponds. They feed on small bacteria, plantons, algae and invertebrates. It is often grown in a variety of water conditions such as brackishwater ponds and sea cages. But it also grow in freshwater lakes such as Taal Lake in Batangas.  

Milkfish cannot breed in freshwater. They need to breed in seawater, both in the wild or in captivity, and the larvae can later be stocked in freshwater or sea cages for grow out. 

Weight of Milkfish ranges between 17lbs (7-8kg) and can reach a maximum weight of 30lbs (14kg). They can grow up to 1 meter in length while some can even grow up to 1.8M.  

Milkfish, also called Bangus in the Philippines, has not picked up in terms of popularity due to the amount of bones in the fish. Despite all this, it remained a favorite among Filipinos. All in all, it has 214 bones in its entire body with 162 intramuscular (between muscles) spines and 52 rib bones.  

Milkfish is a rich source of B-Complex, vitamins, selenium and omega-3 fatty acids. 

Milkfish bones can also be used as an ingredient in calcium-rich and protein-packed polvoron by marinating the bones overnight and having it pressure cooked before grinding it, for drying later on under the sun  just like what Dr. Laurentina Camorin of the Northern Iloilo Polytechnic College (NIPSC) in Estancia, Iloilo had done. 

Filipinos loved incorporating milkfish into a lot of dishes. They eat over 250,000 lbs of milkfish every year on the average. 

Milkfish by-products can also be processed into chicharon and chorizo as done by EGM AgriFood Industries from Buluan, Maguindanao.

Milkfish is a fave among many people due to its mild taste and tender flesh. It can be steamed, pan seared, or sauteed. Other than that, it can also be made into fish balls and used in curries. Its usual product forms are: whole chilled or frozen, deboned marinated, deboned plain, smoked boneless,