Suck It to Get It
Out of the countless
palate-pleasing cooking that Davao has to offer, we decided to focus on those
that came from the sea. Since the sea, the water, the ocean is connected to
everyone’s lives; many make a living out of it. It is perceived that Dabawenyos
love to eat seafood especially the ones collected in the Davao regions. Thinking
about it made our stomach grumble, so we decided on something that was
delicious and fun to eat – Ginataang Suso. What most people don’t know though is
that suso is actually a snail. It’s
sort of an exotic dish, but it is extremely delicious and worth it. What makes Ginataang Suso fun to eat? Well, it’s
simple: Dabawenyos suck…suso and its sweet sauce, because sucking builds up the
thrill. You need to go through the effort of sucking out the meat from the
shell. This shows the attitude of the Dabawenyos. They are adventurous and are
willing to go through a lot just to reach their goal. First timers will surely
find the challenge enjoyable, worthwhile, and appetizing. The sucking is the adventure;
the suso meat is the sweet reward.
Davao’s suso
is a mollusk sea snail with a black shell. The shell has a trumpet-like,
cylindrical shape with a small opening where you can suck the mollusk out from
the shell and eat it. Ginataang Suso dish actually has a whitish-violet color,
because of the gabi (taro) in the gata (coconut milk). The
gata becomes the dish’s sauce, and it
manages to coat the suso inside and
out. The sauce also makes the tender gabi
look even softer in texture, and you’ll be left to imagine what it feels
like on your tongue. Despite the dominance of dark colors of black and violet,
the dish has doesn’t have a powerful smell or taste.
The
dish will also treat your olfactory system with a mouth-watering aroma. The
smell alone of this exotic dish will have you salivating! Imagine yourself
eating this dish in a restaurant near the shoreline where you could smell the
breeze of the sea. Imagine the aroma of sautéed garlic, onion, and ginger mixed
with coconut milk, all contributing to the delectable dish. It has a mildly
sweet and salty aroma. The distinct appetizing smell that lingers in the air as
you eat this dish will let you crave for more and will leave you imagining what
it feels like in your tongue.
As for
how to cook the dish, rest assured that it is easy and doesn’t require many
ingredients. However, what you must keep in mind is that if you overcook or
undercook it, you’ll never be able to suck the suso meat out. The process of cooking isn’t difficult. First and
foremost, the shells need to be washed. After they are clean, the garlic is
minced and the onion and ginger are chopped.
Then next step would be to skin the gabi,
making sure to remove all the “eyes” in order to prevent itchiness in the
throat; afterwards the gabi is sliced
into medium-sized chunks. After these preparations, it is time to sauté the
garlic, onion, and ginger. The suso should
be put in shortly after. When all of the shells are in, two cups of gata are poured into the pan. Then the gabi chunks are put in above everything.
Never stir while the gabi still isn’t cook. A lid is then
placed over the pan and the food is left to boil. When the gabi becomes half-cooked, the last two cups of gata are added in. Then, it is once again covered and allowed to
boil. Once the gabi is cooked, you
can now stir it. Don’t worry about the suso,
because by the time the gabi is
ready, those shells will have been cooked perfectly. Once everything has been
stirred and mixed, you are now ready to start sucking!
After
the hardships that you have encountered, you will be able to experience the
delectable taste of the dish. Eating Ginataang
Suso gives a feeling of being at home because you will remember how your
mother cooks it at home. The bitter and salty taste of the suso and the sweet taste of the gata
combined together becomes a fascinating concoction of sweet and salty flavors
that will make you crave for more.
Beneath the shell is the chewy meat that creates a sweet taste as you
bite into it. The gabi also adds
sweetness and creaminess to the gata.
Pour some of the gata on your rice
and you’ll be sure to forget your dining poise because of how scrumptious the
meal is. So enjoy the adventure, and relish in the sweet rewards!
