Talakitok is the local name that applies to several 
species of Trevallies / Jacks (Family Carangidae) that make excellent eating. Identifying to species level can be somewhat dicey so I will give you names of some of the commonly eaten smallish talakitok in the Philippines (say ½ to 1 ½ kilos) – Blue Trevally (Carangoides ferdau), Bluefin Trevally (Caranx melampygus), Gold-Spotted Trevally (Carangoides fulvoguttatus), etc. In several books, and on one internet dictionary, I noticed that talakitok is translated as “cavala†or “banded cavala†fish. I think this is probably incorrect as it is neither a scientific name or reference and further digging suggests it is a Portuguese translation for what they call a “mackerel†which talakitok is definitely not. Suffice it to say there are several species of talakitok that range from small to enormous (say 50+ kilos!) and they taste great.
Talakitok has a firm flesh with a delicious flavor that must be a 
result of all that active swimming in open water and around reefs throughout the archipelago. My dad used to fish for talakitok and said they gave a very spirited fight once you had hooked them – think all those muscles equals firm flesh? You can fry talakitok whole and serve it with a strong escabeche style sweet and sour sauce, grill it on coals, or bake it in the oven. Fillets from larger fish are also good breaded. In this photo, I have taken a modest sized talakitok (perhaps a kilo or so), seasoned it with salt and pepper, wrapped it in foil with generous sprinkling of olive oil and the juice of one lemon and cooked over a coal barbecue. Simple to make, delicious to eat. Source: Fishes of the Philippines, by G. Broad.
14 Responses
We bought a fish from the Salcedo Market called Malipoto (don’t know if I spelled that right) and it looked very similar to talakitok. At least to my inexperienced eye. Is there any relation? The taste was excellent! We steamed it stuffed with onions, ginger, tomatoes, and some grated lemon peel, then seasoned it with salt, pepper, and lemon. It was so yummy I couldn’t stop eating eating it!
Joey, they are very closely related. I still have to do more research but my preliminary understanding is that they come from the same fish fry… spawned in freshwater lakes…then the fry that make it out to sea become talakitok and the ones that grow up in a lake are maliputo. Many folks try to sell fake maliputo becuase its meat is reputed to be sweeter from the fresh water it was raised in… more on this in the future. If I am factually incorrect, please leave a comment.
I think the American name for this fish is golden pompano? Looks like one, and I love this fish not only fried but also cooked as “pinangat” with kamias, cherry tomatoes, a little vinegar, salt and lots of oil toward the end. Heavenly specially for breakfast.
I think maliputo have a yellow underfins, unlike talakitok which have black or dark blue underfins.
If you visit the Taal lake you can also find their much smaller relatives (of Maliputo)…the Muslo.
i thought “talakitok” belong to the same specie such as giant trevally, big eye trevally and etc…correct me if am wrong.
katie, yes, that’s why there is trevally in the title of this post…but elsewehere in the world, the same fish is also known as a jack.
Ang talakitok ay isda sa tubig alat. Crevalle Jack O Jack fish ang tawag dito. Sapagkat ang Taal Lake sa Batangas ay konektado sa Balayan Bay na tubig alat, sa pamamagitan ng Pansipit River Ang Talakitok ay nakakapasok sa Taal Lake na tinatawag naman na MALIPUTO. Ang Talakitok at Maliputo ay iisa, lamang kapag ito ay nakapasok at lumaki sa Taal Lake nagkakaroon ng kaunting pagbabago sa itsura nito at napakalaki naman pagdating sa lasa nito, talagang napakasarap ng Maliputo kaysa sa Talakitok. Me kapamilya ang Maliputo ito ay ang Muslo na mas maliit at ang Kares na may may batik batik sa katawan. Tinatawag na Sumanga ang Maliputo na may timbang na 1o kilo pataas. Mag-iingat din kayo sa mga namemeke nito, sapagkat mas mahal ang Maliputo karaniwan ito ay penepeke, sasabihin Maliputo pero Talakitok pala. Kung gusto nyo makatikim ng napasarap at tunay na Maliputo subukan nyo na kumain sa Maliputo Restaurant sa bayan ng San Nicolas sa Batangas. Hanapin nyo si ka Azon ang eksperto sa pgluluto ng Maliputo. Marami pa akong maibabahagi tungkol sa Maliputo sa ibang pagkakataon.
mukhang ang sarap nga ng maliputo, lagi kung naririnig ang isdang to ah, I just wonder if meron bang mabibilhan ng maliputo fingerlings? Marami bang ng ku-culture nito sa batangas?
fidela, not sure if anyone raises these in ponds or they grow wild. But maliputo is different from talakitok, one is in fresh water, the other, salt water, though it is essentially the same fish…
thanks for the info. I’ve read somewhere that some people in batangas tried to grow maliputo though i’m not sure if n cages or in ponds, if there’s no esisting hatchery or nursery that means they get their fingerlings from the wild., probably in taal lake or pansipit river, but im not sure.
Recent visited KAPATAN,GLAN,SARANGANI PROV. WHERE I SPENT GRINDING MY TOOTH, RETURNED AND NOW HAVE 2 CAGES N MAKING MORE. I NEED HOW TO HAVE A MOTHER TALAKITOK N MOTHER BANGUS A HATCHERY FOR SHORT, ANY ASSISTANCE OR REFERALS IS GREATLY APPRECIATED. THANK YOU LOS ANGELES
I remember eating a lot of Maliputo in my youth, in Lipa City and on the shores of Taal Lake where my paternal grandfather had what the Russians would call a “dacha.” (Pasensiya na, kaming mga Batangueno’y magpa-paandar daw by nature.) An itinerant fish vendor who specialized in the species would bring her wares right up to Lolo Siyong’s sala, in his residence across the cathedral. I distinctly remember that one specimen even had a half digested small tawilis when it was dressed. True Maliputo were called Pansipit then; it’s true that some sellers now try to pass off large Talakitok as Maliputo. Same species, but the different environment for development to maturity spells a world of difference in taste.
d2 sa diego garcia madami isda d2 ibat ibang klase, pangkaraniwan na lng ang talakitok d2…
d2 s Dagupan and2 ang pinakamasarap na bangus. madami rin d2 talakitok.