LATO (Sea Grapes)

One of my favorite sea foods is the sea grapes.

Locally known as Lato, this type of seaweeds is a common food found on the tables of most Palawenyo families. This plant is named sea grapes because, one it looks like small grapes, and two it's found in the sea, so when you put 'em together you'll get SEA GRAPES! :) Lato is long and plump, and it's also very slimy.

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Lato usually comes with a vinegar dip. :) It's quite salty in flavor and tastes like the saltiness of the sea.
There are different types of Lato. You can differentiate them through looking at their appearance. The most famous type of Lato is the one from Cuyo, known as Latong Cuyo. What makes it more famous compared to other types of sea grapes is that it's plumper.

        (Latong Cuyo)

                                  

This sea grapes (picture below) on the other hand, is another type of Lato. I just don't know what this type of sea grapes is. According to my cousin, this type of seagrapes is usually found in the Municipality of San Vicente.
Sea grapes are usually found in the shallow parts of the sea, while some are found in the deeper parts. Some people make a living out of harvesting these sea grapes.

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 If you walk around the wet markets here in Palawan, you'll usually see these sea grapes being sold together with different types of shells. Lato doesn't last that long, in fact it shouldn't be washed with fresh water if you will not eat it yet, because it would eventually melt.

How to prepare Lato? After buying it from the market you can just wash it with fresh water and then serve it with a vinegar dip, or you can make a salad out of it. Just place the lato in a bowl and then mix it with sliced onions and tomatoes then pour the vinegar (your desired amount, just not too much). No need to put salt in it for it already has its own saltiness.

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If you haven't tried this yet, go on and try it! It's doesn't taste bad and it is actually delicious. And it might just be your next favorite sea food! :) Adios!

(photo of myself while eating latong cuyo :))

- The Palawenya Explorer! <3