Taba ng Talangka

[AlexBernardo]

The decadent and supposedly very-dangerous-to-your-health taba ng talangka (the roe of tiny shore crabs) is one of my favorite delicacies. With warm, fresh-steamed rice it is a meal in itself. Anyway, I was surfing the weekend's Philstar food column and found this interesting reference to a risotto of, you guess it, taba ng talangka. I wish the article described it in detail. Interestingly, Claude Tayag, who concocted the dish, is a well-known contemporary artist and furniture designer (I've bought some stuff at his store in Greenbelt, ABT- handwrought iron candlesticks- and I admire his creative furniture designs), but he's supposedly a talented chef as well.

Well, I think that reinventing taba ng talangka in a risotto is a stylish transformation from eating it with steamed-rice. Maybe I'll experiment on it and also try to come up with some wine pairings.

Meanwhile, I'm wondering if folks have seen other interesting dish creations from taba ng talangka.

[ecr]

Alex, there's a recipe for nam cim ('dip') made with crab roe in David Thompson's 'Thai Food'. (I'm half a world away from my copy right now or I'd provide it). Crab roe (from paddy, not ocean crabs) is a crucial ingredient in (Vietnamese) bun rieu as well.

Why is shore crab roe considered dangerous?

[AlexBernardo]

Alex, there's a recipe for nam cim ('dip') made with crab roe in David Thompson's 'Thai Food'. (I'm half a world away from my copy right now or I'd provide it). Crab roe (from paddy, not ocean crabs) is a crucial ingredient in (Vietnamese) bun rieu as well.

Why is shore crab roe considered dangerous?

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Yes, I've seen the Vietnamese version on store shelves, but never had them.

The Philippines' talangka is a tiny crab, no more than 2-3 inches in width. They're freshwater so they're usually found near rivers and muddy fields.

It's "dangerous" because the high fat content of the roe could be deadly to one's cholesterol level. But I guess no more than uni or foie gras. It's a bit of a shirill description, but one that Filipinos are fond of saying and repeating. And I guess because of the spread of this somewhat urban legend it is not enjoyed more, at least as much as uni or foie gras.

I heard that in Japan it has gained some appreciation in certain sushi concoctions. And the risotto dish I referred to certainly intrigued me. I'm interested in finding out creative dishes for this as I think it's one of many interesting Philippine foods that could have more interesting preparations than the usual over-rice meal.

[angeljolie]

One of my office colleagues used taba ng talangka as a sauce for her pasta. That was one of the best pasta dishes I've ever tasted!

Edited September 19, 2006 by angeljolie (log)

[Kent Wang]

Does this kind of roe taste differently than other kinds of crab roe?

[bvmisa]

Uva has taba ng talangka risotto. It's vinegar-y and quite good, but it's what some people call a "heart attack special".

[Domestic Goddess]

Kent - this type of roe is highly flavorful (I dunno if there is a slight fermentation involved), it is wicked with steamed rice. Aaaah the simplicity!

[PPPans]

It's the type of crab, the talangka. I don't have pictures now but just imagine a tiny crab, around 2 inches in length without the legs.

For tabang talangka, no fermentation required. The roe and flesh is squeezed, sauteed with garlic, salt and a bit of calamansi juice. What is fermented for a day or two (at most) is burong talangka. The crabs are cleaned, placed alive in a covered jar and salted. Shake them up every now and then to make sure the salt is evenly distributed. After the fermentation period, the crabs are squeezed on top of steaming rice and eaten with a squeeze or two of calamansi.