You can’t talk about Cebuano food specialties without mentioning danggit. Danggit (rabbit fish) are small thin fish popularly sold in dried salted form. One of my husband’s officemates was in Cebu on business and his pasalubong was a bag of danggit and a pack of Shamrock otap. I started munching on the otap around midnight, but more about the otap later.
This entry is about danggit which will be fried to a crisp tomorrow and served with garlic fried rice and fried eggs—sunny side up—for lunch. Of course, the danggit will be served with a sawsawan (dipping sauce) made with kalamansi juice and crushed siling labuyo (chili peppers). I know, I know. The traditional sawsawan is vinegar and chili peppers. But I prefer the more aromatic kalamansi—just a perfect contrast to the pungent danggit.
The romance of danggit has a lot to do with the beauty of Cebu. Buying danggit outside of Cebu is like eating mushroomburgers in Manila—they just don’t seem to taste the same. Of course, it’s all in the mind. But food is more than a filling for the stomach—to properly appreciate food, one has to experience it. And that’s probably why local tourists always end up buying danggit when visiting Cebu.
I remember going absolutely hilo (dazed) with the variety of dried fish and fish products at the Tabo-an Market in Cebu City. Dried fish everywhere. The smell was overwhelming and those not used to the smells of fish markets in the Philippines would probably find it stomach-churning. But, my, what an experience! I didn’t know which one to buy first. It was at Tabo-an that I first saw fish tocino and bottled oysters. Gee, I bought so much. I actually squeezed the bottled oysters between the dirty clothes in my bag. But not the danggit. The danggit was wrapped in multiple layers of old newspaper, stuffed in a box that was sealed and resealed with packing tape.
Actually, these days, you don’t have to go to Cebu to buy danggit. Danggit is widely available in supermarkets. And danggit can be enjoyed not only in its dried and salted form. If you haven’t tried them yet, fresh danggit are great. The fresh danggit in the market are larger than the ones that are dried, however. Five to six inches from head to tail on the average, danggit has a lot of meat in it and does not have too many bones. Quite easy to eat, really. And the flesh is soft and moist. When I first bought fresh danggit and cooked them at home, I wondered why the heck anyone would want to eat them dried and salted when the fresh ones are just so great.
Anyway… if we don’t consume all the dried salted danggit tomorrow, maybe I can make some champorado and eat the crispy danggit with it. I never did enjoy tuyo with my champorado. Crispy danggit was always so much more exciting.
Hi Connie,
Wow Danggit ang sarap naman.Na miss ko tuloy ang hometown ko.
fresh danggit is great but the fins are really deadly thus cleaning them is a hellish experience. Plus they have monster stinking guts which are relly nasty. But then all is forgiven after enjoying them fried…
Hi, Connie. I visited Tabu-an Market for the first time last month and whoa! I’ve never seen as many dried fish in my life! The variety was overwhelming (and so was the smell) and it was amazing to see how these dried fish mongers were beginning to turn to varianting to edge out competition and broaden the market. With unsalted, salted, sea-salted, garlic, barbecue and other flavors being introduced, the danggit will soon become the Nagaraya cracker nuts of dried fish
Cebuana ka pala, Gena?
lee, I have them cleaned in the market LOL. When I get home, I just slash and salt them and into the frying pan they go.
Carol, did you notice how you smell when you got back in the vehicle? Ako nun, pagdating sa hotel hanggang undies amoy isda, grabe. And we were only there for two hours.
Cebuana ka pala, Gena?
lee, I have them cleaned in the market LOL. When I get home, I just slash and salt them and into the frying pan they go.
Carol, did you notice how you smell when you got back in the vehicle? Ako nun, pagdating sa hotel hanggang undies amoy isda, grabe. And we were only there for two hours.
Hi Connie,
Yap, i am proud Cebuana.
I, too, am part Cebuano, the birthplace of my late mother. The older locals would call Taboan, Carbon market. Aside from danggit, dilis (anchovy) would be another Cebu mainstay, dried /and or cooked in many ways. They even come in big tin cans good for serving as snack food item.
This one would be off topic. While Googling Dan EricÕs Ice Cream, Pinoy Food Talk had an entry about it way back in 2005. Because we are in the initially planning stages of opening a little ice cream parlor in Northern Mindanao, we are eager to find out more about the company making this particular brand. Particularly, how one may communicate with them. The Web offers very scanty information about them. Any added info will be appreciated.
Yup, mag-aamoy isda ka nga, that’s what I always remember when I thing of Tabo-an. I remember going there with several of my cousins, and when we took the jeepney back to the hotel, asar na asar sa amin ang ibang pasahero…
ive had danggit before, yep they do taste very good! A friend of mine introduced me to it when I was travelling in Cebu City and I ended up in the famous fish market where they sell all sorts of preserved fish. I have been telling all my frielnds here in Jersey (Channel Islands) how lovely it is and if they come across some, whether they could bring me some home! Also some Calamansi! The best place to eat Danggit is at the foot of the waterfall in Aklan Island with freshly boiled rice and some fresh tomatoes wiith rock salt.
Very nice photographs, well presented food!! Its nice to see my home food on such a well presented website.
Hello Connie,
Hanggang dito..i could smell the danggit. Wow.. i miz it so much. I been craving for it. But hanggang picture nalang ako. kawawa naman
Anyways, Thanks for posting your danggit experience. Na miz ko tulogy lalo ang hometown ko…Cebu!
am here in cebu but not a Cebuana and I have been to Tabo-an several times. Although I only go there if I’m going to visit Manila and will have to buy pasalubong. Have you seen yung dried fish na puro buto lang, yung skeleton lang? I forgot the name but my kuya in Marikina loves it (I never tasted it). Smong my faves are of course danggit and dried pusit (kahit na sumasakit ang panga ko kakanguya)
Connie, alam mo I have been tring to get Napoleones recipe for you but still no luck… yaan mo, maghahanap pa din ako….
Naku, Amadeo, I have no info except an old comment somewhere that Dan Eric’s started in Parañaque.
Gay, LOL di pa ba sanay ang mga taga Cebu?
Thanks, Jhun. My passions translated into web pages.
Aileen, I think danggit is an export product these days. Am not very sure if they reach Poland though.
Brenda, di ko napansin yun skeleton. O hindi ko pinansin kasi skeleton hahahaha Will be waiting for the napoleones recipe. Thanks.
Naku, Amadeo, I have no info except an old comment somewhere that Dan Eric’s started in Parañaque.
Gay, LOL di pa ba sanay ang mga taga Cebu?
Thanks, Jhun. My passions translated into web pages.
Aileen, I think danggit is an export product these days. Am not very sure if they reach Poland though.
Brenda, di ko napansin yun skeleton. O hindi ko pinansin kasi skeleton hahahaha Will be waiting for the napoleones recipe. Thanks.
hmm bring back memories of Tabuan
Sus my family who live in Manila brought back boxes of dried fish from Tabuan!!!
Hi Connie!
Iba talaga ang danggit cebu… my in-laws are visayan, kaya pag umuwi sila sa bayan nila, lagi silang dumadaan ng cebu para sa danggit. Ito lagi ang hinahanap naming pasalubong. Ang mga in-laws ko, isinasahog ito sa diningding o sa ginataang kalabasa. Try it, masarap..
i like danggit from Cebu even though im from Manila hhhhhhhhmmmmm taste good. I like it!