CEBU, Philippines - Perhaps unknown to some, the Philippines is one of the most uniquely biodiverse places on the planet, both on land and in water. In fact, almost every region in the country has its own native species that is closely linked to the local topography, culture, heritage, and identity. For its part, Cebu prides itself of a wide range of astounding flora and fauna which the local people are committed to highlight to the rest of the regions.
In the northern Cebu town of Borbon, there has been discovered in recent years a tree snail which the locals call "takyong." The snail specie is considered clean since it lives only on trees; if it falls to the ground, it dies. This is perhaps the reason why the townspeople have thought of turning it into a delicacy.
Takyong may not be something everyone else in the province come across as often, but at least not in Borbon where it has become a daily household serving. Believed to be aphrodisiac, takyong is loved not only for its surprisingly good taste but also for its supposed anti-asthma properties.
Takyong belongs to the genus helicostyla daphnis, which is a tropical, tree-living, air-breathing land snail endemic to Cebu. These snails live high up on the trees and feed by grazing on moss and lichen on the barks of the trees. Since they are arboreal snails, takyong die within few minutes after they fall on the ground.
Although spread across many parts of Cebu sometimes bearing another name "takdong," the takyong snails are most abundant in Borbon, where it is reportedly farmed to support the livelihood of the locals in each of the town's 19 barangays.
In Borbon, takyong is prepared in so many ways - fried, barbecued, sautéed, stewed, or spiced - the possibilities are just endless. Various takyong recipes have been presented via the "Sangka sa Kaha," a friendly cooking match initiated by the Cebu Parklane International Hotel.
The hotel's executive chef Orlando "Chef Edoy" Santos considers takyong to be a good meat alternative. So when asked to make a takyong dish for Parklane's Kan-anan Restaurant menu, the first that comes to chef's mind is Filipinos' all-time favorite sisig. Takyong sisig is relatively simple to prepare, as proven by this recipe that Chef Edoy shares:
Ingredients:
40 pieces takyong in shell
1 teaspoon salt
1 onion, chopped
1 head garlic, chopped
¼ cup red & green bell pepper
5 pieces red chili peppers
20 grams ginger
1 pinch crusted black peppercorn
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 piece spring onion
1 teaspoon lemon juice
3 pieces quail egg
Procedure:
1. Wash the takyong in shell into a running water.
2. Boil takyong in shell with pepper and salt. It takes 3 to 4 minutes.
3. Remove takyong meat from shell.
4. Chop takyong meat into small pieces then set aside.
5. Pre-heat frying pan. Add in cooking oil, then sauté garlic, ginger, onion, bell pepper and red chili pepper.
6. Add in chopped takyong meat. Season with soy sauce and lemon.
7. Pour into sizzling plate. Top with fresh quail eggs, and serve while still hot.
This dish is easy to prepare at home. But to be sure that the home cooking is done right, one may compare it with the takyong sisig served at Kan-anan Restaurant of Cebu Parklane International Hotel. For inquiries, the contact number is (032) 234 7000; the website is at www.parklanehotel.com.ph. (FREEMAN)