The Best Flavor of the Sea, Lukot, A Cebuano Seafood Delicacy

This is about one of the things I miss in Cebu and something I am proud to present as an entry to the #ourcuisine contest by @tpkidkai . I rarely visit Cebu now that I am on dialysis but whenever I get the chance, I am sure to raid food stalls with seafoods and look for Lukot.

When I first came to Cebu, a friend asked me to try eating in a seafood restaurant that showcased local dishes. I was excited to discover the Cebuano-Bisaya dishes. I imagined it would be close to the Leyte dishes which is my native taste.

We enjoyed the food, but before before we ended the meal she got me a small bowl of what looked like a seaweed salad. She excitedly told me that it was called lukot and it's kind of mysterious because it tastes good despite being sea cucumber's poop. I was shocked at what she said and asked her why we are going to try some sea creature's poop. She told me she actually doesn't believe that it is poop because it tastes good and then she continued to eat a spoonful of it right infront of me.

I was curious and went on to try it myself and it tasted wonderful. What I like most about it is its texture. It feels like the feel of those first class glass noodles and it is tasty in a unique way. It is definitely one of the best flavors from the sea, for me.

After then, whenever I eat in local diners which offer this delicacy, I am sure to get a serving of it and finish it. It being green and served in a salad style gives me this impression that it is healthy.

I actually believed it for a long time that lukot was sea cucumber poop but later on, I tried to research it online and the best description I got was SEA HARE SECRETIONS and it has a string of eggs of the hare inside it. So it's actually not poop, it's more like a caviar instead. Now that sounds yummy and expensive.

If you ever come to Cebu try this delicacy and witness for yourself how tasty and mysterious this food is. I'm sure you'd fall in love with it just like I did. Again, for me, it is simply the best flavor of the sea.

Try Lukot, it is yummy. This picture I took does not give it justice. Yummm!