Divine, delicious diwal

The Good Life with Eli F.J. Tajanlangit

It is one of nature’s perfect soup sources, needing nothing but little water and some heat for its myriad flavors to ooze out.

Diwal, or Angel’s Wings Clams, is heavenly as it is: sweet and salty, earthy with notes of  fruit and milk, creamy in a non-dairy way. And its beauty is you simply steam it to get it at its most flavorful. No magic dust nor garnishing needed.

Diwal is now in season. Makeshift stalls have risen along the highway of Valldolid town,  diwal capital  of Negros Occidental, and they are selling  this elongated extraordinary clam at popular prices, ranging from P100 to P180 per kilo. That’s princely for shells in this fishing island, but that is still a song compared to how much they were and are being sold in the public markets in the city. A few weeks back, diwal was sold for as much as P400 per kilo, and the vendor quoted that price with a straight face that said, take it or leave it, don't you dare bargain. Last week,  the price was P250 per kilo, said with that giveaway  smile that meant it wasn’t the final price,  it was open for haggling.  That was when I knew this shell was now in season.

Last Saturday, I strayed south and true enough found the prized shell being sold in stalls hurriedly set up for the season.  Darkness had started falling when I stopped by one such stall  to buy. “P180 per kilo,” the old man said. I stared at him and smiled and he  went, “P160!” I didn’t react, and he further said, “P140!”  I did not have the heart to go further so I settled at that price. Good Friend J, wise in the ways of street haggling, later said I could have gotten it at P100, and I said okay, the P40 goes to his time for entertaining me.

Besides, the old man was solicitous. When he  learned I was not eating it that night, sent me sea water  and gave me instructions how to keep them alive until cooking, how to position them in the basin, how much water to put.

He also told me how the natives cook this delicacy. Put little water in the pot, put the shells lying down, and bring to a boil, he said. Don’t add anything, not even salt, he added. “No ginger? No onion?” I asked for verification. The old man smiled and said, no, they will destroy its taste.  How’s that for a P40 tip?

I followed his instructions and yes the diwal soup was delicious. It was   something, a reminder of how God has provided us with everything in nature,  and how all we have to do is find it. Who would have thought one can have a multi-level taste experience with soup from the drippings of diwal? While we are at it, most shells have such magic – even the ubiquitous green shells, heat three kilos in one regular pot and take out the liquids for your soup; it is something.

Aside from the soup, diwal, of course, is mostly served grilled or baked. The challenge in serving it, however, is how to clean. To be sure you do not serve sand with the shells, you can take the meat out of the shells and clean it.

If you want to serve it in its shell, however, you can aerate it for two to three days to make sure it has spat out all the dirt  in inside. Then you can wrap each ne in foil, to trap its juices inside. This assures you the shell’s taste is all there for you to enjoy.

Good Friend L once served it in pasta: she sautéed the meat in garlic, threw in the spaghetti, then drizzled it with olive oil and French butter. This was lovely, and only proved diwal can hold its own on the global dining table: it was as if it was made to be paired with olive oil and French butter. From Dolid to Paris, how’s that for our divine diwal?*

For feedback, go to www.lifestylesbacolod.com, check Bacolod Lifestyles on Facebook or follow @bacolodtweets on Twitter

back to top