The food: Clams

Where to find it: Lucbuan, Palawan Island, Philippines

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Before sunset I witnessed an entire Filipino clan harvest their dinner within the low tides of Palawan Island.

The mother’s hand shovel lacerated the sea-washed skin of the beach. The woman crouched on all fours like a WWII paratrooper in the mud. Her sweat wept into the ground, and the mud crept up her shins. With each lapping tide she sunk an inch into the beach. She and the rest of her family had a mission this evening: to gather dinner. This was yesterday evening’s mission, and the evening before that, and evenings stretching back to the clans’ ancestors.

The sun begins to fall upon Palawan, and the island inhabitants emerge from their bamboo huts. With aluminum spoons and rusted knives jangling upon a string attached to their belts, whole families march toward the sea every single day to forage for their evening meal. Everyday they dig. Everyday they chuck a few more clams in the communal bucket. Everyday they haul their harvest home and steam them for the evening meal.

The clams of Palawan hide morsels of juicy satisfaction. Pry one open and you’ll find hints of island coconut flavor mellowing the seafood core of the clam. Clam never tasted so good unless you’ve dug for it in the beach mud, hauled it back to your village and wrenched it open with the same knife you used to dig for it. With toil comes the sweet taste of reward.

You’ve had a hard week. Reward yourself this Food Friday.

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The above pictures are more screenshots from footage I’ve shot for my food & travel web series I’ve been filming in Southeast Asia for the last few months.

Also, this post goes out to my wonderful Filipino hosts Ryan and Jacquelyne, my friends at RGMA Campus Radio Palawan 97.5 and Miguel back in Burlingame, California.