Mangga and bagoong. One of Pinoys' favorite snack. It can be eaten anyplace any day. Small children love it, and girls of all ages crave for it. And who can blame them? This Filipino treat has an acquired taste but once you catch the bug, you'll want to have more.

Bagoong is basically fermented fish. And like all things fermented, it has a unique odor that only fans can appreciate. Actually, part of bagoong's charm is its smell. Waiting for it to cook while peeling mangoes is priceless. Team it up with hilaw na mangga (unripened mangoes) and you have the perfect treat.

There's no shortage of it too. Manila is littered with vendors and hawkers selling mangoes with bagoong. Be wary, though, you may need a strong stomach and stronger immune system to survive eating one of those.

Sure there are bottled/canned/jarred variations you can buy off a supermarket aisle, but there's nothing like good old homemade bagoong like mom used to make.

[Pic via Carinderia.net]