Travel

Pali Kambing Have you tried fried banana balls? It falls under the classification of “Bang-Bang Sug” or native Tausug pastries. A decadent concoction of mashed ripe bananas, brown sugar, and flour–shaped into balls and deep-fried to a golden brown—an indigenous delicacy ever-present on special occasions. This is also best eaten as a merienda, perfectly paired … Read more

Imbao con Mantequilla y Ajos Imbao is a highly-prized mollusk that can be found in mangroves. It takes a master imbao collector who can spot the exact location in mud through its “mata,” the opening in the substrate. Everything is manually excavated and collected by hand, a technique that safeguards mangroves from damage caused by … Read more

Dinuguan con Lechon kawali The most photogenic dinuguan we have ever laid eyes on. A thick stew of pork blood and innards are topped with crispylicious lechon kawali! Every bite is a delightful journey to the palate, best paired with a mountain of rice. Enjoy it with the astonishing ocean view at Vista Del Mar … Read more

Oko-Oko Indulge in a luxurious way of eating rice. Oko’-Oko’ is a sea urchin-stuffed rice, a heritage food of the Sama ethnolinguistic group. This precious delight entails a process of mastery from harvesting the tehe’-tehe’ (sea urchin), skillfully scraping the sharp spines, cleaning the shell’s interior, pouring the grains, and individually sealing the top with … Read more

Chupa Kulo How do you cook your snails? Visit Santa Cruz island and taste Sama Banguingui’s coastal cuisine. The tip of the bangugon is sliced off and then simmered in a medley of squash, coconut milk, and spices. Simply suck the shell, then pull out the meat with your hands. Indulge in this delicious discovery … Read more