Delicious Raw Seafood

CEBU, Philippines - People have been eating raw from the beginning of time. Cooking was invented only much later, perhaps as a way of preserving food or simply for taste variety. And yet people's love for raw food has persisted to this day.

Among the foods commonly enjoyed raw is seafood, including edible aquatic animals and plants coming from fresh water. The health benefits from eating seafood are widely known. It is a good substitute for meats as source of protein, with less calories, saturated fat, and cholesterol.

But it's the unique taste of raw seafood that mainly appeals to people. In the Visayan regions - and, well, in the entire country - anything eaten raw is called "kinilaw," from the root word "kilaw," exactly meaning "to eat raw."  The basic ingredients of seafood "kinilaw" are vinegar, garlic, onions, ginger, salt and pepper - very much like ceviche.

The most common types of "kinilaw" are:

Isdà. Fresh fish is deboned and cut into bite-size chunks. Then vinegar, minced garlic, chopped onions, ginger and sliced tomatoes are added in. Everything is mixed well. With a dash of salt and pepper as finishing ingredients, the "kinilaw nga isda" is ready to be enyoed.

Gusô. This gelatinous seaweed is commonplace at community food markets. It is simply blanched slightly and wasted. When added with the basic "kinilaw" ingredients, it is ready for serving.

Latô. This type of seaweed is simply rinsed clean with seawater and added with the basic "kinilaw" ingredients. Its tiny grapelike parts give a taste of salty liquid when eaten, truly reminiscent of the ocean. It has a better taste if allowed to sit in the fridge for half an hour, and so it's cold when served.

Oysters. Of and by itself, oysters are a nice blend of salty, sweet, metallic tastes in the mouth. The unique taste is enhanced further with lemon, cocktail sauce and vinegar as dip before slurping it in.

Amazingly, both meat lovers and vegetarians find seafood "kinilaw" really enjoyable. (FREEMAN)