Dogeaters and many more…
What is it with food that people could not get rid of them? Of course, it is one of the basic needs of man (aside from clothing and shelter) and man could not survive without food. Can you imagine life without food?
Some people have weird aversions to food. I know of someone who does not eat beef per se but she eats corned beef. Some do not eat egg yolks and not because of any medical reason. Some people do not like shellfish at all.
Filipinos are however weird eaters. There was a time when dog meat was a hit and I am not just speaking of the kanto boys classified as sunog-baga. In fact, there are still some people who are adventurous enough to eat dog meat despite the rabies scare to the consternation of animal lovers. It is only in the Philippines (correct me if I am wrong) where almost every part of the chicken is “eatable”. Take a look at the sidewalks and even some Filipino restaurants serving adidas (chicken feet), fried esol (chicken butt) and even helmet (chicken head)!
The innards of the pig are deep fried into chicharong bulaklak and they do look like flowers! Some of the intestine parts are sliced, mixed with fresh pig blood and voila! you have dinuguan.
Some foreigners have developed a liking for these weird Filipino food but my Mexican-Filipino cousins Phil and Mike (who were born and raised in the US) swear never to come back here if I again attempt to force them into eating balot (that’s duck egg with a baby duck still inside). I think we were lucky to have them taste a pinch of bagoong.
Dolon or grasshoppers taste crunchy after they are fried! I once covered the IFMA project of Alsons somewhere north and I was told by the indigenous people in the area how yummy the forest rats are.
It is not only the Chinese who are fond of eating sawa’ or snake. Eaten for their supposedly medicinal features, snakes command a high price in the market. My lawyer-kumpare Manolo claims to have tasted snake oil (and other parts of the animal as well!) There is a place somewhere in Bansalan, just an hour from Digos, where people with various illnesses flock just to have a bite and sip of some parts of the snake.
Kambing or goat is a hit not only among Ilokanos. Try the papait of my father Lakay Dave and you would surely be coming back for more. His Kambingderya (just beside our house in Gensan) is a hit among passersby. Several vehicles already line up in front of his Kambingderya even before lunch because his papait is so in demand. Once customer said “patay ako sa anak (her 7-year old son) ko pag di ako nakapagdala ng papait ngayon!” Papait consist of the innards of the goat—I only eat papait made by my G.I. father (genuine Ilokano) because he thoroughly cleans each part before even slicing them. I could not say the same for the others though. Calderetang kambing is also yummy but this is a common enough fare in Filipino restaurants. Another in-demand food in Kambingderya is his Sinampalukang Kambing.
Had enough? There’s still more! Do you know that frogs or palaka is delicious whether you cook it adobo style, or fried? Want to try any of these?
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