eel

Igat (eel, palos in Tagalog) is a kind of delicacy preferred by some connoisseurs who swear it has some good aphrodisiac quality, and also considered as gourmet or exotic even by some culinary adventurers because eel is an expensive fish in some parts.

In the Philippines, igat is usually cooked somewhat dry as in paksiw (soured), adobo, or with coconut milk. Some like it with a little soup or broth and they cook it as sinigang. It's also perfect for daing or salted/dried/smoked, or just simply grilled.

Sinigang nga igat in Bagabag, Nueva Vizcaya. Photo credit: makan: igat sadiay bagabag

Paksiw nga igat in Tabuk City, Kalinga. Photo credit: makan: igat with beer

A huge dried eel at for sale in Tuguegarao City. Photo credit: makan: daing nga igat

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kilawen a kalding (goat "salad")

This is "kilawen a kalding" ("kilawing kambing" in Tagalog) or goat's singed/burnt skin and grilled meat and liver chopped and spiced and made into a kind of "salad." An Ilokano dish, it's kind of "exotic" to others but is a popular goat dish throughout the Philippines. What's distinctly Ilokano about it is that Ilokano folks, used to bitterness, err, bitter food, usually season it with the goat's bile or the pespes (extract of the undigested grass) itself.

Let's take a look at the mystery of this authentic Ilokano delicacy... Here's the goat's skin/hide, its hair singed, cleaned, this is slightly boiled to tenderize the hide:

And this is the meat and the liver, slightly grilled and so it's succulent and sweet:

Chopping time!

Chopped goat goodies:

And spiced with onions, ginger, salt, some vinegar (calamansi juice is better), chili if you prefer it really spicy, and pour in some bile or pespes and thoroughly mix the whole lot:

More...

• Pinapaitan a silsilet ti kalding
• Pinapaitan, the really bitter original innards stew

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