Ever heard of the cliche "You are what you eat" ?
Basically, it connotes that you have to eat healthy to be healthy. Blah. Blah. Blah.
But then, if we take the saying literally (which is what I often do)........
There's a reason you never see me chew these creatures: I am what I eat, and I never dreamed of being a tiny insect easily attracted to rancid stuff (read: keddeng).
Of course, I'm kidding.
The Philippine beetle (salagubang in Filipino; ab-ableng / abal-abal in Ilocano) is actually considered a delicacy in most of Northern Luzon including my hometown of Dolores, Abra. [Here's a recipe] Although, we consider eating them conventional, it is not a surprise that people may call them exotic.They are usually abundant when the wet season starts; therefore, it is a common sight in Panar (ab-ableng country) to be filled with people waiting for them to come out when dusk settles in May.
My parents love ab-ablengs, my uncle goes to Panar almost every afternoon to bag some for dinner and my niece chomps on them like there was no tomorrow. I guess that means they taste good, don't they?
That said, I still do not see myself eating them in the near future...
Peace!
[photos from Discover Dolores and Dolores, Abra]
Oh that's my favorite. Sad to say, I was not able to eat one last May.
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