Tamilok Eating Challenge

Tamilok, or shipworm, is that elongated worm-like mollusk found inside rotting mangrove trees. It is a famous delicacy in Palawan, an island province of the Philippines. It is usually eaten raw, marinated in vinegar or calamansi juice with chopped chili peppers and onions.

kinilaw tamilok

While visiting Puerto Princesa (the capital city of Palawan) late last year, I and my friends had dinner in the famous Kinabuchs Grill and Bar. After enjoying a feast of beef bulalo (beef stew), spicy squid, chopsuey, mixed seafoods and the usual rice, we were approached by the waiter who asked us if we would like to try the notoriously famed tamilok. We took it as once in a lifetime challenge, something that we can try just for the heck of it. So, we ordered for a plate of whitish odd-looking slimy worm swimming in its own juice mixed with vinegar. We stared at the raw dish in front of us while trying to summon enough courage to dig into the fare. One of my friends, Minda, took a jab with her fork and managed to snag a piece. She closed her eyes and popped the tamilok into her mouth. She said it tasted like oyster. I followed suit, the tamilok got stuck up in my throat, so I forced it down with a gulp of water. It has a smooth chewy texture and tasted somewhat salty with a hint of earthiness that stayed in the mouth.

and the winner is....

Whew! that was something I would try once but never again. Just not my taste.