Tamilok: Uncovering Palawan's Extreme Food

I was kind of curious when I was looking at this tiny creatures: Tamilok. Yeah, upon seeing it, we might have the same thing in mind. You might have been asking if this is really edible, or might somewhat be disgusted with it's slimy appearance.

I can remember Ep, a good friend of mine told me that a Puerto Princesa experience would never be fulfilling without trying this so-called extreme local food--the Tamilok.

Tamilok or Shipworms are not really 'worms' but it is a group of uncommon clams "with long, soft, naked bodies; they are marine bivalvemolluscs in the family Teredinidae. They are notorious for boring into (and commonly eventually destroying) wood that is immersed in sea water, including such structures as wooden piers, docks and ships. Sometimes called "termites of the sea". (Wikipedia)


Scientifically, this is how a Tamilok looks like, 

image courtesy of wikipedia.org

But once it is prepared as food, here we go:

Commonly prepared with Calamansi and Coconut Vinegar--it is called kinilaw.

Yeah, I know. This never looked so enticing. But I believe on what William Safire and Leonard Safir have quoted in their book Good Advice (1982): "If you reject the food, ignore the customs, fear the religion and avoid the people, you might better stay home". I always keep that in mind when I'm travelling. 

And so I did it--I tried and adventurously tasted Tamilok. It didn't went all bad but you know what, I loved its unique seafood taste! For me, it feels like eating oysters, but just imagine a more stronger oyster taste exploding in your mouth. This made Tamilok a thumbs up for me. 

You gotta try it too!