Tags: Exotic Food, Truly Pinoy Food and Drinks
By Alexander Villafania
EL NIDO, PALAWAN – It’s already cliché that in the Philippines, trying exotic food is part of the cultural experience. But what is considered exotic by foreigners is often normal everyday fare for foreigners.
That exoticism is what mystifies most foreigners and for which we Filipinos often take advantage. Remember, we always dare foreigners to partake of balut. One chef told me that we shouldn’t be scaring foreigners with our food but instead, let them appreciate what we have.
Still, there are certain types of food in the Philippines that even most Filipinos have a hard time swallowing (pardon the pun). Balut is just normal for us. So are snakes and frogs, cooked in at least a dozen ways. But people tend to cringe when they think of worms, especially when these are eaten fresh. Palawan has that kind of specialty, a worm-like mollusk called tamilok.
Unlike most mollusks that we know, such as oysters, clams and scallops, the tamilok is shaped differently and looks like a misshapen worm, though they don’t move. Tamilok are normally white with patches of dark brown or black, and are covered in mucus.
Because they are essentially mollusks, they don’t have distinguishable heads though in one end they have small hard shells that are removed upon harvesting. Come to think of it, they don’t look any different than oysters except for their length.
While these creatures are thought of mainly as food, they are also known to be destructive as they consume the cellulose in mangroves and even wooden ships.
These are pulled out from deep within the wood of mangroves, which cover tracts of shoreline in Palawan. After being collected, these are placed in cups or bowls then served fresh a la kinilaw with slices of lemon, dash of salt, and a few ounces of vinegar. Often, crushed garlic and chopped onions are added to spice up the taste.
I’ve tasted tamilok during a previous trip to Palawan’s El Nido resort. While the look of the tamilok is detestable– especially since the creatures were laid out in long plates like worms in a morgue — the taste was somewhat similar with oysters. The texture, however, similar to eating a softened up piece of pork rind but still chewable. It became enjoyable after consuming them with beer. We also did a video review of tamilok while I was still working with Inquirer.net.
Most tourists would easily think that the tamilok is common food stuff among the people of Palawan. Surprisingly, many residents don’t eat tamilok; these are often consumed by fishermen, farmers, and those living near mangroves. However, restaurants such as Kinabuch serve tamilok. The food blog Eat and Run has a story about Kinabuch’s tamilok serving.
Food blogger Jodelen Ortiz also wrote about her experience with tamilok, which she said was a test of one’s resolve to overcome strange and scary-looking things. Perhaps she is right. If you’re not into gross-looking food, the tamilok is not for you. But for those who dare to taste and eventually enjoy something different, the tamilok is hard to pass up.
Photo taken from Pinoyexchange and Photobucket
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