Tabo-an: Danggit and Dried Mango Capital

Cebu is synonymous to lechon, danggit and dried mango. These 3 are the top pasalubong items you can bring home to family and friends.

You can easily get these from major shopping centers such as Ayala Mall and SM or you can head out to Tabo-an Market in Carbon. In Bisaya, Tabo-an translates to a place where farmers sell their fresh produce (vegetables, live chickens, pigs, goats and fruits). In the province, tabo day usually happens on a Wednesday or a Saturday.  This dry market is open 7 days a week.

Whenever we're in Cebu, we prefer to get our pasalubong at Tabo-an Market for these reasons:




1. You cannot get more authentic than this. Your dried fish and mango are sourced directly from the dealers.

2. It's cheaper. A kilo of dried mango chips cost PhP 220 whereas if you get it from the grocery store it costs at least PhP500. Although, you have to do some cost/benefit  analysis because you have to pay for the fare and the inconvenience.

3. Choices, lots of choices as detailed below.

What can you get at Tabo-an?

Danggit. (Dried fish at PhP 540/kilo)



The way to enjoy this local delicacy is to deep fry it in oil to make it crispy and dip in vinegar. I prefer mine with chili. One can choose between salt water-washed and fresh water-washed. The latter is PhP 20 more expensive and I prefer it because it's not salty. I also recommend that you get medium/small-sized and without the gills. So if you want first class danggit, buy the small, fresh-water-washed, without gills danggit at PhP 540/kilo. For the salt-water and with gills variety, it will cost you PhP 450 to PhP 480.

You can buy 1/8 kg. which is enough for 4 persons. Your danggit will come in this sealed plastic bags.

1/8 kg danggit.

Dried Pusit. (Dried squid at PhP 480 /kilo)



















This is cheaper than danggit and I prefer this over the former. You can also buy 1/8 kg which you can give right away to friends.

Dried Mango. (Dried Mango at PhP 400/kg and Dried Mango Chips at PhP 220 kg).















The difference between the 2, dried mangos are dried mango strips and the chips are 1/4 the length of the former. The difference is just the length. Since I am on a budget, I buy the chips. There are no labels on the packaging but the batch that I bought came from the Lhuillier Dried Mango factory. You can also buy smaller quantities at 50 g to 100 g with labels and product info in the packaging but the price just sky rockets. If you opt for smaller quantities, you may be better off buying from the grocery store.

Bisaya Condiments. (Uyap, Ginamus at PhP 50 a bottle)



I consider these condiments of higher quality because when you buy them at regular wet markets, they just put these in plastic bags at PhP 5 each (1/5 of this bottle in volume). I think this is also cleaner. These condiments are good with green mangoes, kare-kare, tadyang and on its own with rice. Ginamus (preserved anchovies) is a bisaya condiment which is good as salt substitute, green mangoes, and as olive-oil based salad topping. Cibo is offering one. Uyap is bagoong in Tagalog.

Chorizo.



This bisaya chorizo has sweet and salty taste.


Muscovado Sugar (PhP 50/kilo)



This is called camay in bisaya, short for kalamay. This less looks commercialized compared to what is being sold at the grocery stores. Before it became the "in thing" in Metro Manila, the bisayas have been using this unrefined sugar. I remember nibbling on the bigger particles as a kid.

To Get to Tabo-an

Click here for google maps link.



You can ride a cab which will cost you around PhP 100 from Ayala Center. Or take a jeepney to Carbon.

While in Tabo-an, you can also drop by the Sto. Nino Church, it's a 10-minute walk or take the 4-C jeepney.

Please beware of your surroundings, there are pickpockets in the area. It also helps if you have a local with you or someone who speaks Bisaya so that you can easily navigate the market.


Tabo-an Public Market
Tres de Abril St.
Carbon