Tawilis in Oil by Pontefino

Tawilis in oil on the right, bagoong alamang on the left

Pontefino Hotel in Batangas makes some very delicious deli treats.  Vicky was lucky to have been given some of these, and we tried their Tawilis in Oil (much like the regular salt water sardines in oil, but this time using the tawilis fish instead).  This fish is the only freshwater sardine, and exists only in Taal Lake, right at the doorstep of Pontefino Hotel--which is why they have pioneered in the bottling thereof, Spanish style.  Absolutely delightful!  The fish is softer that regular sardines, and the taste is exactly what I look for!  Aside from bottled tawilis, the deli also has bottled bagoong alamang, which is shrimp paste (using teeny weeny shrimplets), usually fermented then cooked in lots of garlic and pork bits.