Food Trip
By sweet_pea
@sweet_pea (3322)
Philippines
September 8, 2010 12:46am CST
If I were to visit your place what food would you recommend me to try?
I just came from a vacation in Puerto, Prinsesa, Palawan, home to the Subterranean River, the longest navigable underground river in the world. The locals told me that I should try the tamilok. It looks like a worm and tastes like oyster, but actually it is a mollusk found on rotting mangrove trees. Base on the local's story, there were Americans who visited Palawan and saw the locals eating the mangrove worm, so they called one of their comapanions "Tommy, look!" Thus, the word tamilok. I also tried the crocodile meat and it tastes like chicken. They say they only cook 2-5yr old crocodiles because their meats are still soft. We tried these cuisines at a local restaurant called Kinabuchs.
If you are new in the Philippines, you can try adobo or marinated meat (Adobo by the way is Spanish for marinade or seasoning) and pancit or Phillipine-styled fried noodles. I so love pancit! This cuisine is almost present in any occasion because it is believed to symbolize long life. For dessert, try the halo-halo, which in the local dialect means "mix". This popular dessert is a mixture of shaved ice, milk, various boiled beans & fruits topped with purple yam, ice cream or my favorite leche flan. For the adventurous type, you can try the balut or boiled duck's embryo which you would eat in a shell.
3 responses
@mysdianait (66005)
• Italy
8 Feb 11
Gosh! This is such an interesting topic but it fell by the wayside 
I thinkIwould have preferred to have tasted tamilok before you explained what it is. The fact that it is 'found on rotting mangrove trees' doesn't exactly make it sound very tempting. Well not to my palate it doesn't 
'My place' is Italy because I have lived more than half of my life here. I was born and raised in UK though. In my opinion the British food is extremely bland so I will leave that for someone from there to provide and I will serve you the local stuff from here.
If you want starters then they are plentiful and you will end up eating nothing else afterwards if you try them all. A mixture on your plate of a red and yello pepper in 'bagna cauda' (which is a sauce made with olive oil and garlic), together with a couple of slices of salami, one spicy and one mild, and some vol-au-vents filled with local fontina cheese from the Val d'Aosta, piping hot straight from the oven, should get your taste buds sorking.
You can then move on to the local 'specilaità' of polenta concia. This is made with maize flour and water, mixed while boiling, until it is of a creamy density. Cheese and melted butteris added and it is eaten as hot as you can manage it - yummy and really warms you up.
I don't think you will be hungry after that but you must taste pig's brain with sweet semolina and fried battered apples too. A mixture of vegetables sauted - aubergine, peppers, onions, courgettes - would acompany that and look colourful on your plate.
At this point it has now become fashilnable to have a portion of lemon flavoured sorbetto, same consistency as ice cream but lighter, which is supposed to aid digestion before moving onto the dessert which will be local fresh fruit salad. Apples, oranges, pears, clementines, strawberries and kiwi fruit will make another colourful dish too.
You will need to have a walk to help all of that delicious food on its way so I suggest that I take you up some of the local mountains where you can see the view of the towns lower down. It will take your breath away and the cool mountain air will stop any thoughts of having nap coming on 
I thinkIwould have preferred to have tasted tamilok before you explained what it is. The fact that it is 'found on rotting mangrove trees' doesn't exactly make it sound very tempting. Well not to my palate it doesn't
'My place' is Italy because I have lived more than half of my life here. I was born and raised in UK though. In my opinion the British food is extremely bland so I will leave that for someone from there to provide and I will serve you the local stuff from here.
If you want starters then they are plentiful and you will end up eating nothing else afterwards if you try them all. A mixture on your plate of a red and yello pepper in 'bagna cauda' (which is a sauce made with olive oil and garlic), together with a couple of slices of salami, one spicy and one mild, and some vol-au-vents filled with local fontina cheese from the Val d'Aosta, piping hot straight from the oven, should get your taste buds sorking.
You can then move on to the local 'specilaità' of polenta concia. This is made with maize flour and water, mixed while boiling, until it is of a creamy density. Cheese and melted butteris added and it is eaten as hot as you can manage it - yummy and really warms you up.
I don't think you will be hungry after that but you must taste pig's brain with sweet semolina and fried battered apples too. A mixture of vegetables sauted - aubergine, peppers, onions, courgettes - would acompany that and look colourful on your plate.
At this point it has now become fashilnable to have a portion of lemon flavoured sorbetto, same consistency as ice cream but lighter, which is supposed to aid digestion before moving onto the dessert which will be local fresh fruit salad. Apples, oranges, pears, clementines, strawberries and kiwi fruit will make another colourful dish too.
You will need to have a walk to help all of that delicious food on its way so I suggest that I take you up some of the local mountains where you can see the view of the towns lower down. It will take your breath away and the cool mountain air will stop any thoughts of having nap coming on @sweet_pea (3322)
• Philippines
9 Feb 11
Oh Ms D, you just didn't know how you made my day!
This topic has been sitting here for 6 months, and you are such an angel to respond.
I was really happy even if I only got one response, since this is the first discussion I have ever started. Wow! How did you find it from the hundreds of topic here at Mylot?
When you say Italian dish, all I have in mind are spaghetti and pasta. Birthdays here in my country is not complete without a spaghetti or a pancit in the food table. They usually symbolize long life for the celebrant.
Pigs brain? We also have one recipe like that here named Dinakdakan, a mixture of pig's ear, tongue, liver, brain and mayonnaise. We have so many street foods here and we gave them names. To name some, Adidas is grilled chicken feet, Betamax is dried chicken blood.
We also have a sorbetto here, it is called sorbetes. Usually home-made ice cream. When I was younger, almost all the children in the neighborhood would queue to get one from the sorbetero(ice cream vendor). It really is so yummy.
This topic is really making me hungry. I hope I can taste the foods you've mentioned. It's quite pricey to go to Italy. It's cheaper if I find myself an authentic Italian restaurant here serving those dishes.
This topic has been sitting here for 6 months, and you are such an angel to respond.
I was really happy even if I only got one response, since this is the first discussion I have ever started. Wow! How did you find it from the hundreds of topic here at Mylot?
When you say Italian dish, all I have in mind are spaghetti and pasta. Birthdays here in my country is not complete without a spaghetti or a pancit in the food table. They usually symbolize long life for the celebrant.
Pigs brain? We also have one recipe like that here named Dinakdakan, a mixture of pig's ear, tongue, liver, brain and mayonnaise. We have so many street foods here and we gave them names. To name some, Adidas is grilled chicken feet, Betamax is dried chicken blood.
We also have a sorbetto here, it is called sorbetes. Usually home-made ice cream. When I was younger, almost all the children in the neighborhood would queue to get one from the sorbetero(ice cream vendor). It really is so yummy.
This topic is really making me hungry. I hope I can taste the foods you've mentioned. It's quite pricey to go to Italy. It's cheaper if I find myself an authentic Italian restaurant here serving those dishes.1 person likes this
@mysdianait (66005)
• Italy
9 Feb 11
You made mine! 
I opened this when I had just logged on and was sipping my first coffee. Seeing you so happy for something that was so easy to do made me happy too!
I commented on a response that you left on mu discussion and when I did so I was at work. I can't get involved in back and forth comments from there so I spend time doing other things here. I went to yur profile and skipped through your topics and found this one, all alone and begging for a response
Now that it has come back to life I hope that it receives more responses because it deserves them! 
I opened this when I had just logged on and was sipping my first coffee. Seeing you so happy for something that was so easy to do made me happy too!
I commented on a response that you left on mu discussion and when I did so I was at work. I can't get involved in back and forth comments from there so I spend time doing other things here. I went to yur profile and skipped through your topics and found this one, all alone and begging for a response
Now that it has come back to life I hope that it receives more responses because it deserves them! @sweet_pea (3322)
• Philippines
11 Feb 11
Thanks Ms D. I was really thinking how long would it go on sitting there with no responses. It was a bit heartbreaking at that time because it was my first attempt in starting a discussion and no one responded. I think I'd put the topic in an interest with few active members or at that time I still have few friends that's why it was not responded.
Anyway, I'm glad for friends like you who are very supportive. And also with hardworkingirl here who also made my day, just finding out we have the same recipes in our countries. Its friends like you that make Mylot a better place.
Love you guys!
Love you guys!1 person likes this
@yoyo1198 (3641)
• United States
17 Feb 11
Hi, sweetpea....I live in the States so a visit to my place would gain you fried chicken, meat loaf, green salads and brownies and chess pie. But in the interest of moving this discussion along, I'm responding. I do occasionally branch out to different cuisines and get adventurous with some of the Italian recipes. I don't think I'd try the Tommy, Look!
@sweet_pea (3322)
• Philippines
17 Feb 11
Hi yoyo! Thanks for dropping by.
We have more exotic foods to offer other than the tamilok.
The most popular of which is the balut or the duck's embryo.
My dad is an American and when I was a young girl we had a vegetable garden with lettuces. And he usually makes salads. Unfortunately, I was a picky eater then. I didn't like the greens. But I love the muffins and the pancakes that he makes.
We have more exotic foods to offer other than the tamilok.
The most popular of which is the balut or the duck's embryo.
My dad is an American and when I was a young girl we had a vegetable garden with lettuces. And he usually makes salads. Unfortunately, I was a picky eater then. I didn't like the greens. But I love the muffins and the pancakes that he makes. 
@hardworkinggurl (37062)
• United States
9 Feb 11
Oh wow you are speaking my language, hooray.. I am Puerto Rican and Adobo is a must in the majority with the majority of my home cooked meals. There isn't a single plate that I have ever cooked without my Adobo so this my friend is a must for me.
As for the halo-halo is something I would so love to try as the ingredients are all my favorites. I can't do seafood as I am allergic and not a fan of duck.
I have been a member of myLot now going on nine months and do not know how I missed this discussion as I find it to a very interesting and great topic.
I am glad we are myLot friends as we can exchange a few recipe ideas. I so look forward to more of your ideas.
@sweet_pea (3322)
• Philippines
11 Feb 11
Really?! You also have adobo in your country? Now I'm excited!
Although it shouldn't come as a surprise since adobo is Spanish in origin. We were conquered by the Spaniards, centuries ago.
Oh dear, I guess I can't share you recipe ideas.
I'll tell you why.
I rarely cook unless there is no one else to cook. I am a kitchen disaster. I'd rather wash the dishes rather than cook. I'm just glad that my husband cooks well, and he cooks the best adobo I've tasted.
Although it shouldn't come as a surprise since adobo is Spanish in origin. We were conquered by the Spaniards, centuries ago.
Oh dear, I guess I can't share you recipe ideas. I'll tell you why.
I rarely cook unless there is no one else to cook. I am a kitchen disaster. I'd rather wash the dishes rather than cook. I'm just glad that my husband cooks well, and he cooks the best adobo I've tasted.1 person likes this
