This Rare And Prized Philippine Sea Salt Is On The Verge Of Extinction

Asin Tibuok, more commonly known as “the dinosaur egg,” is on the brink of extinction.

Inducted into the catalog of endangered heritage foods by The Slow Food Adjudicating Committee, there is a risk that this rare, artisanal sea salt from the Philippines, and the age-old practice of making it, will cease to exist within a few generations.

The roots of asin tibuok date back to pre-colonial Philippines, where salt farmers from Bohol, known as asinderos, would practice the old art of salt preservation by soaking coconut husks with sea water inside a salt pond, slow-smoking them, and filtering the seawater through the ashes. The seawater, now enriched with minerals, is then put into a clay pot where the salt solidifying technique begins.

This labor-intensive preparation process can take a minimum of three months and demands extreme vigilance in every step, which explains why there’s only a handful of families left in Albuquerque, Bohol that have dedicated their lives into continuing this element of traditional Philippine culture.

The Manungas family, one of the few remaining producers of asinderos, have made it their life work and mission to keep this ancient practice alive. Mang Nestor Manungas learned the diligent process of making asin tibuok when he was only seven years-old through his grandfather, and while he originally had no interest in preserving the familial tradition as he got older, his brother later convinced him to rekindle the family business. Mang Nestor, now 73-years-old, still runs the production facility in Bohol to this day, keeping close watch over the laborious process of bringing asin tibuok to life.

Today, asin tibuok is one of the most sought after and highly praised salts in the culinary world, as its distinct flavor profile can add depths of smoky, umami, and earthy tones to any meal. But aside from its rising popularity, it also remains a symbol of indigenous Filipino culture and of the families who keep it alive.

As Filipino-American History Month comes to a close, support the Boholano people by purchasing your own “dinosaur egg” from the Manungas family’s website.