When I told my mom that I wanted to visit Taboan market (pronounced as ta-bo-an and it was actually just one of the public markets I was eyeing) she laughed, ‘Why on earth would you want to visit that place?’
I guess living for years outside the Philippines have taken its own toll. I get melancholy feelings about all things Filipino. Like real Filipino. And to be honest, I had more fun in Taboan market than when I did the malling thing in Ayala and SM (big posh malls in the country). The evidence can all be seen and traced at the amount of fotos I took!
One thing about Cebuanos is we are very fond of our stinky dried fishes (bulad or buwad) and quite proud of it as well! To see more of my dried fish fotos, go here: Taboan Dried Fish Market, Cebu Philippines
More dried fishes. On the right are dried shrimps.
So here is the queen of them all dried fish: DANGGIT (see above foto), rabbit fish in English. How to cook this? Fry in oil, real quick like just a few seconds. Then dip in vinegar and eat. Crunchy. Many eat this for breakfast paired with eggs and rice. In Manila, they have nicknamed this breakfast ‘dangsilog’ (condensation for danggit, sinangag, itlog). In English—Fried dried rabbit fish, garlic rice and eggs.
I hope the Department of Tourism in Cebu will develop the area and encourage more vendors to get their act together, i.e. keep the area clean and safe, offer more complementary goods, perhaps add some souvenir stalls, open restaurants and cafes, etc. Just an idea.
Colourful salted fish sauce with anchovies and shrimp paste in jars. Forgot the name of the right yellow one, I know its clam or from the oyster family.
The salted fish sauce with anchovies (ginamos) and shrimp paste (hipon or uyap) are sold here as well, wholesale style.