Island Delicacies

  SEA FOODS Remembering the fresh and sweet scallops of Bantayan makes me weep. They're the best. And they're so cheap, too. You can often buy them at P100 for three packs, already cooked. All you have to do is dip them in vinegar and pop them in your mouth. They're the perfect meal after a swim. I can eat them for days (and I totally did). As a fishing village, Bantayan Island's specialty is fresh and affordable seafood like scallops that are sold by locals. You can also order scallops and other seafood in the restaurants in Bantayan Island and eat it with Cebu's iconic  puso , cooked rice wrapped in weaved palm leaves.

 TAGUANGKAN It is grilled with the chicken large intestine wrapped and twisted in a stick with big a round mass in the inside as its top. The round mass is actually undeveloped egg/s of the hen. It may look weird and strange at first but once tasted, it actually tastes like normal, unsalted grilled eggs. Bantayan island has lots of poultry farms and supplies a huge number of egg and chicken meat locally and in nearby islands including Cebu which is why this is abundant in the area. The island has always been a bit separated from the fast pace of the neighboring cities and have it as a common practice to make use of anything and everything. A habit of a no “wasted” policy is also practiced in our food as well. Cooking fish bones and almost everything you’ll find in the sea and even in poultry, as long as it can be eaten, there will be no part left behind. Your trip to Bantayan will never be complete unless you’ve tasted this one-of-a-kind delicacy. A little note though, the outer pa...

DRIED FISH     More than just a beach destination, Bantayan Island is also known for its delicacy – buwad or dried fish. From the popular danggit or dried rabbitfish to dried squid and even such exotic products as fish tocino, Bantayan has a wide range of these popular pasalubong items. The best place to find dried fish is at the Dried Fish and Vegetable Market in Barangay Suba in the town of Bantayan, one of the island’s three towns. The two other municipalities are Santa Fe and Madridejos. The market displays various types of dried fish or buwad and is popular among tourists who buy them for pasalubong. The danggit and squid are some of the best sellers. Another type is the fish tapa or the filefish’s meat, that compared to the ordinary buwad, is shaped into circles and flavored. The fish tocino is tender and sweet. These are often consumed as snacks or pulutan or to go with drinks. From the sea to the dried fish market, the process of making buwad is laborious, and a vital ...