I HAVE A VERY SIMPLE RULE when it comes to exotic food, or for any type of food for that matter: I can try anything at least once, for as long as it is really food, at least by local standards.
So far this rule has worked for me.
The most recent opportunity to test this rule happened in Puerto Princesa, Palawan a few days ago (April 13, 2008).
It was during dinner on the eve of the 1st Quarter Planning Conference of Delbros Waterfront Leasing Co., Inc. (DELWATER). As the CIO of the DELBROS group, I get to attend this twice a year management planning conferences of DELWATER, one of the major entities in the group.
The Planning Conference in Puerto Princesa has been my second planning conference since I joined DELBROS in May last year. The first one I attended was the year-end planning conference in November 2007 which was held in Tacloban City in Leyte province.
As is customary in these planning conferences, we, the participants, arrive at the venue on a Sunday (or earlier), do some sightseeing or fieldtrip-type activities, and then have a fellowship dinner that will extend till about 1:00-2:00 AM.
In this particular dinner on April 13, our host, Palawan branch head/coordinator Gabby (De Vera), served a local exotic delicacy. It’s local name is Tamiloc.
It looks like worm. How’s that for starters? Eee-yew. But it is more likely a mollusk. For sure it can be labeled as ìseafoodî because it is harvested from the roots of Mangrove trees.
If you eat it with your eyes closed you would probably swear to God it is oyster, for it tastes and feels like oyster, which favors the notion that it probably is a certain type of mollusk.
Of course it was first offered to our CEO, Jose Edurdo C.†Delgado (JED). JED, the quintessential Boy Scout and master outdoorsman, would not buckle down to a simple ìFear Factorî challenge of ingesting some worm-like what have you. Preceded by a concealed ìgulp,î he dipped a fork-full on vinegar with garlic and salt, and gamely chewed on. In a few seconds his eyes brightened up, and with a big smile in his face declared that it is oyster. I know that in his mind he was shouting ìI did it again, I conquered the fear of an unknown.î
Then followed the dare. The CEO, as a general in battle would, has shown his troops how it is done, now who dares NOT do it? One by one each of us participants was asked to try this Palawan delicacy called Tamiloc.
Being seated near JED, I was among the first to try. No problem. I just pulled my exotic food rule from somewhere in my brain and my mind has been conditioned to brave this challenge. With a concealed gulp of my own I also gamely chewed on a mouthful and viola, declared that it is, indeed, oyster.
Quite a number of our colleagues had trouble though, and we made a great deal of fun teasing them and taunting them, until they eventually relented. It is quite funny to see even huge and really manly looking guys buckle down to a simple exotic food challenge. Some were sweating like they were being subjected to a life and death situation. Some have their faces turning white, or red, or blue. It’s just amazing what the mind can do. It either makes you do things you would not normally do, or it freezes you as fear consumes your consciousness. Fear, whether real physical threat, or the prospect of a possibly repulsive experience (like eating Tamiloc) is really all in the mind. #
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I watched Pinoy Big Brother the other night where some of the housemates were brought to Puerto Princesa, Palawan for some challenges.
Tamiloc was featured in one of the challenes, ala Fear Factor.
hah hah! Welcome to d ABNormal Club!
This is just par for d course! U’ve now done Pinikpikan, next is to do d prepration n cooking of this delicacy!