Sitsarong Kibit

Sitsarong kibit is my favorite local snack and pulutan. It comes in bite-size pieces and more delicious and healthy than the regular sitsarong baboy. I predict that its popularity with the locals as well as tourists will cause the extinction of Kibit in the area. The kibit supply in the Baler area are now in short supply and most of the mollusks are now exported from the northern towns of Casiguran, Dinalungan and Dilasag.



Kibit is the local term for the chiton, a saltwater mollusk. Here's more detail from the Marine Discovery Center website of the Woodbridge District High School of Australia: "Chitons are found very commonly on the local foreshore. These are a type of sea snail with eight parts to the shell, hence often called Eight Part Shells. They look a bit like a slater, with the muscular foot underneath tightly gripping the rocks. This makes picking them up VERY difficult. Chitons use a radula (which is stronger than your average kitchen knife) to scrape encrusting plants and animals off the rocks."

The chiton picture and description can be found here.