SEAFOODS

There are lots of seafoods available here in the Philippines. This is something that a foreign visitor should not miss. Philippine cuisines are prepared and served to any styles like native, European, French, Chinese or American. Seafood here is fresh and restaurants often show the fish to their guest before preparing it to ensure freshness of the food they serve.

Here are some of the seafoods Filipinos love to prepare on their tables:

Sea urchins - though it can be briefly cooked, but most Filipinos love to eat it in raw. Just break its shell and scoop its roe with spoon.  The best way to eat sea urchin’s roe is to sprinkle it with lemon juice.

Spanish mackerel - is widely used in having “kilawin”.  A kind of cooking wherein the raw fish is marinated with vinegar, tomatoes, ginger, chili and onion and to be season with salt and monosodium glutamate.  Others will also add coconut milk to add flavor.

Napoleon fish/ Jackfish/ Tuna/ Lapu-lapu – they are best prepared by grilling in a hot charcoal.  And dipped in a Filipino style of sauce e.g. soy sauce with minced tomatoes, onions and lemon.

Scallops - the entire scallops and its roe can be eaten because they are edible, and the best way to eat scallop when it is grilled.

Sea cucumber - Popularly known as “balat” in Cebu.  Its texture is somewhat slippery and is usually dark, hard and dull.  The most common way in preparing sea cucumber is like “kilawin” minus the coconut milk.

Prawn/ Lobster/ Crabs/ Shrimps - the easy way to cook these sea foods in an affordable way is to boil them in a hot water and season it to taste.

Squid - can be done also by grilling or cooked in an “adobo” way, a Filipino way of cooking with vinegar, garlic, pepper and soy sauce.

Giant Clams - The color is somewhat white and it can weigh over 500 lbs.  Usually it is eaten in grilled.