Hello and howdy lovely people on Hive! I hope you are all doing great on this beautiful day!
It was a Saturday morning during our Holiday vacation in Bantayan Island I and the hubby, together with the good friend who lived there, had left the latter's home early for Bantayan Market to buy fish, seafood, fruits, and other things we need for our plan to go to the beach on the same day.
More than just a popular beach destination, Bantayan Island is also known not just in the province of Cebu but also in other parts of the country because of its delicacy- the buwad or dried fish. Many small-scale businessmen purchase these island produce in volumes or bulks to sell in the local markets at a much higher price.
Since we were on this island ourselves, we took our chance to be able to buy this popular buwad delicacy at a much cheaper price than getting it from our local market, or from some online sellers at a higher cost. It would be our little pasalubong or souvenir from our trip to this beautiful paradise.
With the three of us riding on our motorbike, we headed to the town's wet market to buy what we needed!
Before entering the town market, my attention was especially caught by these smaller boats silently floating at this side of the Bantayan Municipal Wharf loaded with passengers and some baggage and necessities to be transported to the other smaller islands which are also included in the Bantayan group of islands.
Walking towards the other end of the wharf road, I saw a number of local and international tourists waiting for a boat to get onto. I just didn't ask where they were headed but looking across the port was an inhabited islet with houses visible from where I was standing.
I was just amazed at how the residents of this area managed to live a life on this little island.
Walking towards the other side of wharf road, I saw many other passengers trying to board a boat to be able to reach the other island called Botigues, about a 30-minute boat ride from Bantayan island.
According to one of the boatmen, Botigues is the island where the popular dried boneless danggit or rabbitfish originated. The boat fare going to the island is only ₱50.00 or $0.89. If only time allowed us, I actually thought of taking a boat towards the island and buying a lot of boneless danggit. It must be a lot cheaper there!lol
This boat accommodates about 80-100 passengers at full capacity according to one boatman. These passengers, from kids to adults to old folks, I thought were in the town to join the traditional Holy Friday procession that happened the night before and they're now going back to their home island after participating in this important religious activity for the Christians.
But I was worried whether I could get back in time as the boatman said, the boat trip going back and forth to the island of Botigues depends upon the weather and the highness and lowness of the tide. So I just let that thought go!lol
This man is loading some market products and necessities on his boat to sail back to his island.
According to Wikipedia, there are many other smaller islands that are part of the Bantayan group of islands- some are inhabited while some are not.
Before I could forget our main purpose in going to this place and remain in this state of awe and wonder, I headed back to where the friend was waiting for our little market shopping!
Entering the main entrance to the wet market, you will be welcomed by this display of veggies and spices that will remind you to get some for your seafood or meat recipe.
On the other side are some homemade rice cakes called puto maya in the local dialect and sweetened balanghoy or cassava that could make your mouth water.
Puto maya are a perfect match with sikwate or the Cebuano version for hot chocolate. Though, you can have this paired with your favorite coffee for breakfast or before a heavy morning meal.
Thinking of the best baon or food/snack to bring to the beach, we went inside the market and started checking available fish or seafood that were not very painful to the wallet.
There were not many people that crowded in the market maybe because of the event that happened the night before- the traditional Holy Friday procession where a lot of faithful joined and participated in.
Getting inside, we were especially drawn to these large squid at ₱300.00 or $5.36 per kilo and got 1 kilo of it.
The market also displayed shrimp that looked very fresh at one spot sold at ₱380.00 or $6.79 per kilo, sea lobsters that cost ₱1,000.00 or $17.89 per kilo. Whew! (Quite expensive but I guess that's the usual price or even higher for sea lobsters like these.) and other kinds of familiar and unfamiliar kinds of fish.
We just got a kilo of Salay-Salay* or Yellowtail Scad in smaller sizes at ₱200.00 or $3.59 and 3 kilos of Wasay-wasay or hammer shell at ₱20.00 per kilo or $0.36.
The squid and the wasay-wasay are perfect to eat grilled and dipped with spicy soy sauce especially at the beach!
After buying also some seaweeds called lato to eat raw with spicy vinegar and some watermelon, the friend brought me to the Dried Fish and Vegetable Market because I told her I wanted to buy the special buwad delicacy of Bantayan Island.
The moment I entered the Dried Fish Market, I was immediately amazed at how clean and organized the place was.
The local market in my hometown is not as tidy as how the different kinds of dried fish and other fermented and or salted fish like dayok and bagoong are properly displayed and arranged at this area.
You don't say but these displayed assorted dried fish in Bantayan Island from the dried pusit or squid to boneless danggit and other buwad delicacies are delicious and mouth-watering.
Best eaten when freshly fried with or without rice dipped into a spicy vinegar, this Bantayan Island buwad delicacy are what people not only from the island but also in many parts of Cebu and in the country love and look for.
How about you? Do you also love buwad or dried fish? Why not come to Bantayan Island and enjoy the beauty of their pristine white sand beaches as well as taste their delicious and savory dried fish?
Of course I should not leave this place without bringing with me my own pasalubong for the family when we get back home!😉
It was indeed a wonderful and happy time at Bantayan Market discovering new places I find interesting and memorable and having a taste of their most popular delicacies.
This is all for today's blog dear Hivers. Thank you for reaching this far and for going with me in this amazing market experience! See you again in my upcoming blogs. Until then......😊
Lead image edited thru Canva.
All photos are mine unless stated otherwise.