Exotic Foods in the Philippine (Would You Care for a Bite?)

After finding 534 new islands, the Philippine archipelago is no longer made up of just 7107 islands rather it is made up of 7,641 islands. With so many islands, it is no wonder there are so many diverse cultures seen among its people. Don't forget, historically, the Philippines was colonized by the Spanish,the Americans, and the Japanese and became the home of foreign settlers such as the Chinese and Malays. We can all agree that the Philippines is a hot pot of various intermingling cultures and this can be seen in Filipino cuisine.

The Filipinos love to cook and eat; there is no question of their love for GOOD food. The Filipino cuisine is a combination of resourcefulness and tradition, that is, Filipinos can put their own spin on a non-native dish and come out with a somewhat new dish that is distinctively Filipino.

Throughout the years,  tradition, change as well as preserverance have molded Filipino cuisine to what it is today. Although there have been adjustments to typical Pinoy food,  there are certain native dishes that have thrived and are now considered exotic: unusual even called bizarre at times.

Unfortunately, "balut" (fertilized duck egg) which is traditionally an exotic Pinoy streetfood is now considered mainstream  and doesn't make anyone cringe anymore (you can thank the Amazing Race for that). Even the red salted egg ( which I call "pulang itlog") which used to be served with tomato slices is now a popular flavor among the Millennials. The "century egg" (eggs preserved in clay, ash, rice hulls for 100 days) is now considered mainstream as well.

Common Exotic Streetfood found in the Philippines.

One thing I've noticed is the increase of the kinds of skewered chicken parts along barbecue stands. Before it was only "isaw" and "adidas", now there's what you call "helmet" and "betamax". In the Philippines, where life is rough, "no part of a butchered animal should go unwasted". And because of this mentality, the resourcefulness (and ingenuity) of the Filipino in making these "less than appealing" body parts "so tasty that it will get you coming back for more" can be seen. For those who are clueless, grilled/barbecued skewered chicken parts is a favorite kind of street food among the Pinoys. Isaw is intestines, adidas is chicken feet, helmet is chicken head, and betamax is clotted chicken blood formed to resemble the shape of a betamax video tape. Whoever coined these names, by the way, was a genius. 

So, since these food are more mainstream  and considered common, what other native Filipino dishes can still be considered  exotic enough to be called bizarre? Let's see...

Exotic Filipino Foods

Tuslob-buwa

Tuslob-buwa with puso

Ever wondered why most of the walking dead in zombie movies feast on brains? Well, if you are in Cebu, you can go zombie and try pig brain in this curious street food called "tuslob-buwa" which literally means "dipping in bubbles".

I am no stranger to pig brain which is one of the ingredients in "dinakdakan", an Ilokano dish, which I used to eat a lot when I was young since it was one of my father's specialties. But, pig's brain dip? Interesting right?

"Tuslob" meaning "to dip" and "buwa" meaning "bubbles" is a Cebuano street food where patrons would gather around a wok of simmering pig's brain soup, boiled to a froth, flavored with pork liver and spices and dip a "puso" (rice cooked in woven coconut leaves) in the froth of the simmering sauce. You pay for the "puso" 10 Pesos for 3 ($0.20 USD) and dipping is free. After consuming all 3, it's as if you had a full meal. Way to stretch the budget. If sharing the froth with strangers is not your style, there are places in Cebu that offer you the chance to cook it on your own and share with family and friends. For 100 Pesos ($2 USD), you are given 12 puso's and all the ingredients to make your own tuslob-buwa.

Although the tuslob-buwa was said to originate in Barangay Pasil, Cebu, no one can really pinpoint its creator.

Abuos

Abuos or red ant eggs.

This delicacy of the Ilocanos of Northern Luzon is made primarily of red ant eggs. During the summer, the eggs are harvested at the ants' nests located at treetops of mango or rambutan. The eggs are then stir fried with garlic and onions until the eggs become transluscent and smaller in size.  You may add salt and pepper to taste. The ants itself are sour (some say like lime) while the eggs are sweet.

Beware though, you may acquire a severe allergic reaction to abuos which comes with a rise in temperature aside from the usual rash and urticaria (pantal) which may last for a few days.

Salagubang (Abal- abal)

Salagubang

The Salagubang or the June beetle is a favorite in Nueva Ecija and some parts of Northern Luzon. You can eat it with rice for a meal or as pica-pica while drinking beer.

It is usually cooked adobo style but, you can go on and deep-fry it after for a more crunchier treat. Crunchy on the outside and oh so gooey on the inside.

Uok

Coconut rhinocerous beetle larva or "uok" being cooked.

Uok is the larvae of the Coconut Rhinocerous beetle and can found on rotting coconut bark. Considered mainly a pest that does damage to coconut trees, the uok is edible and are eaten raw by the natives.

These huge worms are cooked adobo style and can be found in Rizal. How to eat? Remove the head of the larvae and sip it.

If you get stuck in a jungle, at least you know that these larva can be eaten raw as well. No need for the usual vinegar and soy sauce to make adobo.

Crocodile Sisig, Crocodile Steak, Lechon Buwaya (Roasted Croc)

Lechon Buwaya (Roasted Crocodile) in Davao City. ctto

Don't worry...those who have tried it say it tastes like chicken. The meat a little tough but tastes like chicken (makes you wonder if it is really crocodile meat that is being served or just chicken unless you see them chopping away on a croc). Anyway, crocodile meat according to experts has many health benefits such as helping those with eczema, boosts blood circulation, and improves the immune system.

Bulca Chong, Balbacua using Carabeef and Soup No. 5

Bulca Chong, a Davao City specialty

The beloved carabao, the national animal of the Philippines and the Filipino farmer "beast of burden", is a water buffalo and is also known for its tasty meat.

Bulca Chong is a rich stew of carabao meat while balbacua is a rich stew of the skin of the carabao although you may use regular cow beef as a substitute. Most restuarants use regular beef or ox tail since carabeef is hard to get and to cater to the public since some customers suffer from gout or high uric acid. In Davao City, a restaurant named Bulca Chong serves authentic Bulca Chong made with carabeef as well as balbacua made with carabao skin. The stew is thick and sticky and goes well with "siling labuyo" (chili peppers).

I recently visited Bulca Chong and asked if it was still carabeef, the servers said that serving carabeef is prohibited by the city government. They are only allowed to serve cow beef. Well, now it isn't exotic anymore since it's just regular beef stew.

The testis or balls (sex organs) of the animal is considered the 5th appendage of a bull hence the name Soup No. 5. Said to be an aphrodisiac although some refute the claim, Soup No. 5 can literally warm you up.

 Tamilok and the Sea Urchin

Shipworms found in rotting mangrove logs. Credit to owner.

A foreigner was walking around Palawan with his friend when he spotted a group of locals enjoying a bowl of what looked like squishy worms. He shouted to his companion, "Tommy, look!" giving this slimey wormlike sea creature its local name "tamilok". Just kidding!

Tamilok, also known as shipworm or woodworm, isn't actually a worm but a mollusk. It burrows itself in wood immersed in salty water, eventually killing the wood, giving it the title "termite of the sea". If you see a tree, a log, or mangrove in water and it seems to be rotting, rest assured, when you cut that piece of wood open, you'll find this slimey creature inside it. Don't worry about it wriggling, it dies once exposed to air.

The tamilok can be found in Palawan and Aklan and is a delicacy in those places. Before eating, the head and tiny legs are cut off and all its stomach contents are pushed out so whatever wood it has eaten will be excreted. Then it has to be washed with vinegar and ginger (I guess to get the stink out). Now, the clean and raw tamilok is now marinated in freshly squeezed calamansi juice with vinegar, chopped onions, and siling labuyo. It is eaten as "kinilaw" (Filipino cerviche). Those who have tried it say it tastes like oysters, a slimier version that is.

The sea urchin is known as "uni" in Japanese and is a delicacy in Bohol and Pangasinan. After cutting the sea urchin in half with one strike, the slimy innards are removed which leaves the roe behind. Scrape the roe (bright orange in color) from the skeleton, then add some lemon or calamansi juice. Serve with wasabi, vinegar or soy sauce.

Ginataang Kuhol or Suso (Golden Apple Snails in coconut milk)

Ginataang Suso

If you've been to France, then you know of escargot. The Filipinos have their own version. My mom and my dad used to cook this a lot when I was young. There seemed to be like this overpopulation of snails back then. I remember that our rice fields were full of pink eggs from these snails. I tried it once and didn't like it. Well, it's more of an acquired taste.

The golden apple snails, introduced in Asia by South America as food,  after being cleansed in water and the ends broken off are boiled in 2 extracts of coconut milk until the soup thickens. You can either suck the snail meat out (this is the reason why it is called suso which is a term meaning teat) or use a fork or toothpick to take the meat out. If you don't like the snail, the soup is really good and very fragrant.

Kamaru

Kamaru being sold.

The Kamaru or mole cricket is a well known Kapampangan delicacy. They serve it either deep-fried or adobo style. They actually look like small shrimp until you get closer. Those who have tried it say it tastes like shrimp. Like salagubang, crunchy on the outside, gooey on the inside.

Etag/Innasin and Pinikpikan

Salted Pork being dried under the sun which is part of the process  of "panag-etag". 

I guess everyone is familiar with Bleu cheese. Moldy and somewhat smelly but really good with wine. The Philippines has its own version of rotting food, but it's not cheese...it's ham.

Etag, also known as Igorot smoked meat, is the Sagada, Mt. Province special Cordillera Mountain Ham. After rubbing salt generously on the best parts of a newly butchered pig, curing of the meat is done either by drying it under the sun or by being smoked continously until the meat is properly dehydrated while hanging on a clothesline. Since it is exposed, flies get to the meat, thus after a week, maggots can be seen wiggling their way across the slab. It is then stored for months (binurong baboy) in earthen jars or wooden boxes although the meat is again smoked from time to time to increase its flavor. Once done, the layer of mold is cleaned off and the meat is grilled.

This process of "panag-etag" is a long time ancestral tradition of the Igorots who, once upon a time, were hunters and needed to perserve the meat until the next hunt. Salt, a precious commodity during that day and age, was one of the reasons why the Igorots would trade with the lowlanders.

Etag may be eaten on its own but is usually cooked with "pinikpikan" (slowly dying chicken) which is another Igorot delicacy. The chicken is beaten repeatedly under the wings and on the neck by a stick until the skin of the chicken turns bluish. The reason behind the beating is for the skin to bruise- this process of allowing the blood to rise and coagulate on the surface makes the chicken more flavorful. Then with the same stick, the chicken is dealt one last mighty blow behind the head. If done properly, when sliced, there should be no bleeding. After cleaning, the sliced parts of the chicken are boiled in etag-flavored water. Some say, it tastes just like tinolang manok with a twist.

Pinikpikan is an Igorot ritual in which the tribal priest would read the bile and liver of the dead chicken to determine the fate of their tribe or to make difficult decisions. Although animal welfare groups argue animal cruelty, there are those that say that the beating numbs the chicken in preparation for its death. So, better ask the chicken.

Betute (field frogs) and field rats

Betute or stuffed frog

Remember that part in Demolition Man where Sylvester Stallone eats a burger made of rat meat? Well, since that scene was in the sewer, you probably have a picture of the dirty, stinky, black rats that hide in the dark.

Field rats are different from their city counterparts, since they don't eat trash and maintain an "organic" diet. Thus, field rats can be considered clean and edible.

After skinning them, gutting them, and cutting their feet and tail off, the Kapampangans (although I've seen this done elsewhere before) cook the rats adobo style.

Same goes for field frogs. After being skinned and gutted, the Kapampangans stuff the frogs with minced pork and spices. Then the stuffed frog is deep-fried to make betute. Sometimes, crispy frog legs may be on the menu and the dish looks like battered tempura.

Lepeg

Rice wine is an important commodity most especially for a celebration. For the Igorots, they ferment a special type of red rice called "balatinao" for 20 days in big jars. After 20 days, the "tapuy" (rice wine) is harvested which leaves the dark aging rice (lepeg). In other words, "lepeg" is the fermented residue after the "tapuy" is extracted. Since, nothing should go to waste, lepeg is served with fresh chicken blood. Those who have tried it say that it's a bit sour IF you can get past the smell. 

Before I end this post, one thing I'd like to add is lobster is difficult to find here in the Philippines and expensive. Foreign tourists are surprised when they come here. So, even for the Filipino, lobster is exotic due to its rarity.

Hope this post didn't make you squimish!

Til next post!