Tabon-tabon

Atuna excelsa subsp. racemosa

spice

A hard fruit whose flesh is grated into kinilaw, raw fish in vinegar: it removes the fishy smell and softens the acidity.

Origin

Mindanao and Visayas (Philippines)

Season (United States)

all year round

Preparation

The hard fruit is cracked, the white flesh grated and squeezed into the vinegar, which is poured over the fish; the fibers are thrown away.

Did you know?

Without tabon-tabon, say the people of Mindanao, kinilaw is not real kinilaw.