Asín tibuok facts for kids
Asín tibuok is a very special kind of Filipino sea salt. It's made in a unique, old-fashioned way by the Boholano people in the Bohol province. Imagine salt that tastes a bit smoky and fruity!
There's also a similar salt called túltul or dúkdok made by the Ilonggo people. This one is special because it's boiled with gatâ (coconut milk), giving it a savory flavor.
Both Asín tibuok and túltul are part of the amazing traditional ways people in the central Philippine islands make sea salt. They taste very different from regular salt you might find in stores. These salts are usually finely textured, with small granules. People use them by grating a little bit over their food.
Sadly, making Asín tibuok and túltul is a very difficult and long process. Because of this, and because of laws about salt and competition from cheaper, modern salts, these traditions are almost gone. Only a few families in Bohol, Capiz, and Guimaras still make them. Asín tibuok is even listed in the Ark of Taste, which is a list of endangered traditional foods from around the world.
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What Do the Names Mean?
The name Asín tibuok comes from the Cebuano language spoken by the Boholano people. It means "unbroken salt" or "whole salt." This name is used in Bohol.
Similar salt-making traditions are also found on Guimaras island and in the nearby province of Capiz. In Guimaras, the salt is called túltul or tul-tul, which means "lump." In Capiz, it's known as dúkdok, meaning "pounded" or "pulverized." Both of these names are in the Hiligaynon language of the Ilonggo people.
How These Special Salts Are Made
The way Asín tibuok and túltul are made is a bit different between the Boholano and Ilonggo traditions. These special salts can only be made for about six months each year, from December to May. This is because the amount of salt in the seawater changes during the rainy seasons.
Making Asín tibuok in Bohol
To make Asín tibuok, people first soak coconut husks for several months. They put them in special pits that are always filled with seawater during high tides.
After soaking, the husks are cut into small pieces and dried for a few days. Then, they are burned in a big pile until they turn completely into ash. This burning process takes about a week!
The ash, called gasang, is then collected and put into a funnel-shaped filtering device made of bamboo. Seawater is poured over the ash. As the water passes through, it picks up the salt from the ashes. This salty water, known as tasik (brine), is collected in a hollowed-out coconut trunk placed under the funnels.
Finally, the tasik is poured into special clay pots. These pots are hung inside a unique furnace. The salty water is boiled for several hours. As some water evaporates, more tasik is added to the pots. Eventually, the pots will crack open, showing a solid mass of salt inside. The salt is very hot at first and needs a few hours to cool down. These salts are often sold with parts of their broken, dome-shaped pots, which is why they are sometimes called "dinosaur eggs" in other countries.
Making Túltul in Guimaras and Capiz
For túltul or dúkdok, people gather driftwood and other plant materials like twigs, reeds, coconut husks, and bamboo stems from the beach. These are then burned completely into ash, which also takes about a week.
The ash is collected and placed into cylindrical containers made of woven bamboo, called kaing. These kaing are set on bamboo platforms, with a container placed underneath. Seawater is poured through the ash, and the salty water is collected in the containers below.
This salty water is then strained and moved to other containers. Here, it is mixed with gatâ (coconut milk). This mixture is poured into molds called hurnohan and boiled over an outdoor stove called a kalan. As the liquid evaporates, more is continuously poured into the molds until only a solid mass of salt remains. These brick-like lumps of salt, known as bareta, are then packaged and sold.
How to Use These Salts in Cooking
Asín tibuok and túltul are usually used by grating a small amount over food. Traditionally, people would grate them over plain hot rice with a few drops of oil and eat it as a simple meal. They are also great for seasoning sinangag (traditional fried rice). You can also break off small pieces and dip them into stews or other dishes, or grind them up to use like regular table salt.
Protecting This Tradition
Salt-makers, called asinderos, used to be very important in the Philippines. But today, this craft is almost gone. One reason is that making these traditional salts takes a lot of time and hard work. Artisanal salt-makers can't easily compete with the cheaper, imported salt that is common in the Philippines now. Also, a law passed in 1995 about adding iodine to salt (called the ASIN law) made it even harder for local salt-makers, causing many to stop making salt altogether.
Today, only a few families still make Asín tibuok and túltul. They are often sold to tourists who are interested in unique local products, and to fancy restaurants that want to feature special Filipino dishes. Because they are so rare, these salts are much more expensive than regular salt. There's often a high demand for Asín tibuok and túltul, but not enough supply.
Asín tibuok is recognized by the Slow Food movement and is listed in their Ark of Taste. This is an international list of important traditional foods that are in danger of disappearing.
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