The Tamilok (Teredo Navalis)
An interesting delicacy has stumbled upon by the FOODSTER bloggers. It has been featured in the ABS-CBN News' The Correspondents and has sparked some more reports to sprout out to search for unusual "eats".
The TAMILOK, the shipworm, is a mussel of the genus shipworms (Teredinidae), which include about 80 species living in wooden material of logs, pilings and ships at all temperate and warm coast around the world. It could be found in swampy areas especially in mangroves.
The edible worm is a popular delicacy in Palawan. It is either eaten on site where it is found, specifically in the mangroves (bakawan), or at nearby restaurants that offer the worm at its raw form.
The shipworm body is elongate and wormlike; the shell no longer protects the body, but covers helmet like the anterior parts and acts as a boring instrument. The tunnel connects to the surface with a tiny hole with two siphons for inhaling and exhaling of water. Therefore, from the outside the shipworm is very hard to detect, often the damage appears only when the piling breaks. The locals, with their trained eyes, would break open a piece of rotten wood and extract these creatures like taking noodles out of the bowl.
According to Karen Davila, ABS-CBN’s Correspondent for the Tamilok Episode, “…it is somewhat reminiscent of an umbilical cord, and some people feel uneasy upon seeing it. However, for the Palaweños, it's a tasty dish, and a way to earn a living.” It sold from 20 to 40 pesos a glassful of grey stuff. It is believed that the worm got its local name from a foreigner who saw the worm for the first time and scream to his companion, "Tammy... Look!"
In the interest to really know what it feels to eat the delicacy, I have requested my father (in a business trip) to buy just a glassful of worms but unfortunately, he has not yet arrived as of post time.
For a glimpse of the worm’s adventure through the eyes of grossed out and strong-stomached people, you could go to the ABS-CBN Now! Website , and look for The Correspondents video feed.
Sources: The Great Shipworm
The Correspondents
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