Flavors of the Philippines

Part of my trek to Danny's Tindahan, a small Filipino-Japanese market in Tenleytown, was to satisfy my curiosity about whether or not the store sold balut eggs. Balut eggs are duck eggs that have been fertilized and incubated for about two weeks, so that when they are eaten there is a little duck embryo winking at you inside. At Danny's, balut eggs are in the refrigerator case and dyed pink. Definitely not for the squeamish, especially some of the pictures they have on the Wikipedia article. But if you're not looking for a winking duckling, there is still plenty to satisfy your tastes.

Though described as a Filipino-Japanese market, Danny's emphasis is more on Filipino foodstuffs. That's O.K., though, because Filipino cuisine is a homegrown fusion anyway, drawing from many of its colonial influences, including the Spanish and the Chinese. Take for example longaniza, a tightly-packed chorizo that combines the Spanish element of paprika with the flavors of a sweet soy sauce-laced Chinese sausage.

One of my favorite items is the dried mangoes; the Filipino ones are more tangy and moist than what you'll find at American markets. Each bite is like a taste of sunshine. Another item to look out for is ube (purple yam) bread. It is a sweet bread with chunks of purple yam that, according to owner Nelly Orino, is a hit with the nearby Taiwanese embassy.