Tamilok

It was almost lunchtime when we arrived at the port of Sabang. We have just concluded
our Puerto Princesa City Subterranean River or better yet known to all as the Underground
River Package Tour. Upon embarking at the quay, our tour guide directed us to this string of
restaurants at the rightmost part of the strip. There were about three to four restaurants at the
area. My family took the farthest one.

The serving was buffet. The table is filled with a lot of Filipino Cuisine, mostly grilled and
because it is located at the sea shore, I expected seafoods will be the main course. Sadly, I have
food restrictions so I can’t eat shrimps, squid or crabs lest I get swollen all over because of my
allergies. Anyhow, I got grilled tilapia, some cucumber dipped in vinegar, and a string of what
the locals called lató or sea grapes. It was a sumptuous lunch. After which, my father called me
and motion me to follow him out of the restaurant and into this small shanty.

The signboard says “Tamilok”. Wait…what? Tamilok? “Dad, what are you trying to do?”
I heard of this. I have seen this on youtube. That is what they call the wood worm or ship worm.
Well, it is not actually a worm, it is a mollusk, family of the oysters and clams. But hey! “they
don’t look like oysters for me. It’s what I call aliens!”

My dad paid a hundred for these? For what? Oh no…this is not happening!

The bowl was taken out by manang, the vendor. She poured in vinegar, finely chopped
onions and garlic and out came these dreaded tamilok. They look like leeches, only white.
Manang showed to us the head of the tamilok showing its teeth. They really are aliens!

Slowly, these tamiloks were dipped into the vinegar. The vinegar turned silver gray,
looks like dirty waste water. Dad stirred in the tamiloks using his forefinger and slowly lifted
one. It looks like a small child’s gooey snot. And off to his mouth!

Now what’s next? Oh no! definitely not. No…

He picked another one, and slowly gave the snotty tamilok to me! “Dad!”

“You know son, if you are to venture to a different place, you have to learn the culture,
the tradition, the food of the place!” My dad said. “Dad, I’m okay! No need to try that” I replied.

“Jason, You will eat this for a thousand bucks!”

“A thousand bucks! Wait…no deal!”

“Two thousand, final offer.”

“Two thousand! Just think of that! My dad is offering me this big amount. That is not just
money! That is POWER! I can buy the pasalubong already for Dana, Dinky, and Dodo.”

“Okay, money down first!” I said to my dad. “Deal”

So he gave me the money. And handed me over the bowl.

These nasty worms will kick me up to the moon for doing so.

I smelled the worms. It smells sour because of the acid. It is a bit slimy, gooey. I
hurriedly took one small tamilok from the pool and lifted it out of the bowl and into my mouth.

Shiver down my spine! At first the taste is okay. But as soon as I chew and the vinegar
losses its taste. “Yuck!” I ran to the back of the shanty and started to vomit the cud. My father
was laughing his gut out seeing me almost faint. My sister hurriedly gave me a glass of water to
clean my taste buds off the nasty delicacy.

They say it taste like oysters, but not for me.