Daing Of Santo Tomas La Uniom

Daing

Speaking of daing or dried fish, the town of Santo Tomas of the province of La Union is synonyms to it. Located along the national highway, you'll know you're here because of the aroma of daing along the way.

So, when you speak of danggit or pingka/ bulong unas, daing-pusit among other kinds of dried fish, this is the place to be.

Of course, Ilocano's breakfast will not be completed if daing in vinegar is not around the table. Blame it to the distinctive taste of daing which is salty and sour and sometimes sweet.

According to Elizabeth Galera, agricultural technologist of municipal agriculture of the said town the fishermen who are engage in daing making have their association. Fishermen from barangay Damortis, Narvacan, Cupang, Kasantaan, Ubagan and Cabaroan are mostly engage in daing making.

She said the abundance of many kinds of fishes taught these fishermen to make daing to preserve the supply of fish.

It is now the One Town One Product or OTOP of Santo Tomas.

HOW TO MAKE DAING?

Its not really hard to make daing according to Elizabeth. All you just need is a good amount of salt.

1. Clean the fish thoroughly eliminating the fresh blood. The blood may cause the germs and bacteria of not eliminated. It will also invite flies and other insects.

2. Soak in salt thoroughly.

3. Sun dry the fish by putting in the fish nets. Depending on the intensity of sunlight, sun drying of fish may take one to three days. It also depends of kinds and sizes of the fish.

All the fishes have the same technique of fish drying. Usually, the 3 kilos of fish will just become 1 kilo after drying.

Fishes usually made into daing includes dalag baybay, espada, malaga, baraangan, billit among others.

Level Up In Cacao Products

The town of Salcedo in Ilocos Sur is on the track of making cacao products to the next level. In fact they're celebrating Cacao Festival during the month of March to place their cacao in the map of chocolates.

Tableya, one of the traditional chocolate of Ilocos have the history in this place. During those early years when the old folks gather cacao beans in their backyard tree and made it into tableya. Congressman Eric Singson of Candon City recalled he's buying this choco tablet when he was still a child.

Salcedo now is the major producer in Ilocos of cacao that includes seedlings, fruits, seeds and the products like chocolate, jam, tableya among others.

And they wanted to push to a bigger recognition.

There tableya now is not just wrapped in plastic and papers. It is now beautifully presented with nice packaging and wrapping. The local producers have their designed in very attractive package with the brand name, contents and manufacturing informations.

The tableya could be the best alternative when giving gifts  to special people we have. And the taste is still the same taste of choco tablet our old folks cook for us. Though, of course, as part of innovations, some local manufacturers made some improvement in the taste.

And to make name in the larger map markets they developed their version of dark chocolates and other types of chocolates. We all love chocolates and produced in Salcedo will surely give some exquisite taste on our tongue.

Then come other products like the cacao vinegar and cacao jam.

Well maybe scarcity of chocolates in the whole world in the coming of years will not happen in Ilocos. Cacao seedlings are in full blast to combat the predicted scarcity. The seeds are just keep on multiplying.

No fear, chocolates will not be gone.