Helmet is chicken head, it is called helmet because the clean chicken head without the beak and cockscomb resembles of a helmet. This one is common street food, either you bought it as a barbecue or cook as adobo (sautéed with garlic, onion and laurel leaf seasoned with soy sauce and vinegar. )
It is an egg of tree ant, mostly can be found in mango trees where this ants make their home. Ant Caviar is known in Ilocos Norte. Ant egg can be fried in butter for better taste, A crispy shell on the outside and creamy filling on the inside. Juicy and taste like shrimp. It can be cooked as an omelette.
It can be cooked as adobo or deep fried. Kapampangan is well known for being a good cooked, I love the betute, the frog is stuffed with pork and some secret ingredients and deep fried. The taste is juicy and tastier than chicken meat. So basically if you are in Pampanga and Nueva Ecija, Ask what food they serving especially with your relatives or friends who live in the province. This neighboring province is well known for the love of exotic food.
My first experience eating frog was just an accident, I was on vacation in Nueva Ecija and saw an adobo and didnt bother to ask what kind of adobo, but my cousin let me eat and asking "so whats the taste of overly cooked chicken" I replied taste good , the soft meat was better.. and the best adobo. Then they giggled and revealed that it is frog.
Rats from the rice field are also eaten, it is common in central Luzon where rice field are vast. These Rodents are clean because they only feed on rice. They would skin them, cut the head, the tail, and the legs or the feet then all internal organs are removed. Cooking is done the adobo way and deep fried. It can also be breaded. I stupidly ate adobo rat in Pampanga because I thought it is a frog since I love the taste of frog. While chewing my first bite and trying to get another one, my nephew shout at me "uncle you are eating stuart little" and that's the first and the last bite.
7. Pritong Bayawak( fried monitor lizard)/ Adobong bayawak
Some said Monitor lizard is taste better in pork meat and tastier than chicken meat. Adobong bayawak is perfect appetizer while drinking wine or liquor. Other ways to cook monitor lizard Pinaupong bayawak ( similar to roasted chicken), ginataang bayawak ( cooked in coconut milk with lots of chili pepper) and or simply deep fried with vinegar and chili as a dipper.
6. Adobong sawa (Phytoon)
Yup you read it right, Adobo again but this time the phytoon is the star ingredients. Phytoon is known for its medicinal value in Asia. You can drink the blood raw and it the bladder raw because its said to be good in health and believed to give added stamina..
5. Fried Tateg(rice worm)
Dare to eat them? This huge worm can be found in a rotten trees or rotten stack of hay rice. They are usually cooked deep fried with lots of garlic.
4. Balut
Balut and adobo is part of Philippine culture. Let's leave the adobo first and focus on balut. A balut is a nearly developed duck embryo that is boiled and eaten in the shell and for better tasting get a pinch of salt while eating the duck. It is healthy, good for the heart and high in protein.
3. Fried Insect Beetle /Cricket/locust
This fried insect is common appetizer in Central Luzon. Instead of trying to kill them with insecticide , they cooked them. Deep fried salagubang( beetle) is common among provinces where mango trees abound where beetles usually thrive while the susuhong(cricket) can be found usually in the rice fields before planting season, same with the balang (locust/grasshopper) mostly you can see them eating rice plant.
I learned my lesson of being aware on food while in Pampanga or I will end up again eating bizarre food the rat is enough and way to extreme to me, and rather not eat insect. I politely refuse or If they tend to tease and dare to eat susuhong, or the fried locust.. I will say "No thanks, I'm full" or bribe them that I will buy another case of beer just please don't let me eat them, no offense meant but my stomach is weak for that.
2. Tamilok (mangrove worm)
The word ‘tamilok’ was coined by two Americans. They started calling one of their friends - "Tommy, look!" Tommy, look!", after seeing the locals eating the mangrove tree worm. Although tamilok looks like a worm , but it is actually a molusk that can be found in rotten mangrove tree. Its is slimy, longer than 12 inch ruler and grayish color. Tamilok taste like oyster, famous in Palawan, you can order this in restaurant or in a local bar. Wanna try the kinilawing tamilok( raw tamilok ) . A platter of intertwined mangrove grayish worm.
A picture of tamilok being harvested in rotten mangrove.
1. Innasin
This is the igorot version of ham. It is salted meat pork, usually neck part, Can be cooked with legumes or vegetables, best partner for this delicacy is pinikpikan (another igorot delicacy, chicken ). The meat can actually eaten raw. Why this to be exotic? the meat should preserved for 6 months and the chemical from the maggot add flavor to the meat. before eating etag make sure to remove the excess salt and the maggot.
So there's all my list... which one you like to try? I already tried the 12, 9 , 8 , 4...
If you ask average filipino to give their most hated politician, Ampatuan will definitely land on the list. Thanks to Andal Ampatuan and his clan! Once again, we made it to international scene, Philippines is 2nd Most dangerous place in the world for media men. He is the famous for the Maguindanao Massacre or also know as The Ampatuan Massacre. The most heinous crime ever... 57 killed.. Check wikipedia for more info of the list of all the victims.