If you consider yourself a gastronomic adventurer, then you should try buwad. Loved by many Cebuanos and viewed as disgusting by many foreigners, buwad is fish that is dried out in the sun. Because buwad is quite cheap and delicious, the market for the commodity is extremely huge!

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Different types of buwad are sold in wet markets all around the island of Cebu, but these are just a fraction of the endless variety of dried fish. If you want to discover every kind of dried fish imaginable, then head out to the Taboan Public Market; it is squeezed snugly between four streets�Lakandula, T. Abella, B. Aranas, and Tres de Abril streets. Dried fish merchants from all over the province come to Taboan to sell their wares.

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Needless to say, the Taboan is awesomely lively from sunup to sundown. Tourists and locals should not miss it out. However, let me warn you that the place stinks to high heaven. The odor of salted fish is exceptionally overpowering that it actually sticks to your clothes! Even dousing your clothes with perfume does not help much; you need to wash your clothes to get rid of the smell! Better go back to your home or hotel after shopping here to change your garments, or bring some extras if you plan to go somewhere after shopping in Taboan. But that is all part of the exciting adventure that Cebu has to offer. �

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There are countless varieties of dried fish to choose from�danggit (Cebu�s most famous dried fish), pusit (dried squid), fish tapa (fishy equivalent of beef jerky), fish tocino tapa (sweetened dried fish jerky), and even fish bone. Budboron, with an incredibly salty that overeating it (which is very likely because the taste of buwad is addictive once you get used to it) can trigger high-blood pressure, seems to a local favorite. Best of all, the prices are so low that they would not make dent on your budget.

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Buwad cannot be eaten raw. You have to quickly fry them in oil. In most cases, the entire fish can be consumed, yes, even the head, spine, and tail! Get a plate of steaming hot, rice; dunk that buwad in native vinegar that is mixed with chili, garlic, and onion; and you will experience pure gastronomic heaven. The head is probably my favorite part�its taste and aroma

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To get to Taboan, you can either ride a taxi or a jeepney. Just tell the taxi driver that you want to go to Taboan; most of them know where it is. But an urban adventurer�or cash-strapped individual�would prefer to ride a jeepney. Jeepneys from Bulacao, Pardo (10F) and Mambaling (08G) bound for Cebu pass near the market. Just ask the driver to drop you off near the Cebu City Medical Center, and Taboan is just a short walk away. If you are already in Colon, the oldest street in the Philippines, just take a Guadalupe-bound jeepney (06A) or Lahug (04D).

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Photos courtesy of Rudy Fuentes and dbgg1979