Talangka

It is my all time favorite food in the entire world!!! If it is a choice between Lechon and Talangka... Talangka would win hands down any given day. I even like it better than alimango.

For my family, there is a special "bond" we have with that delicacy. It brings back pleasant memories ... a time when we were still complete ... My Mom, Dad and especially my Grandma!!!! She would buy lots and lots of talangka maybe 5-7 kilos or more and then we would start our lunch at 12 and end at 3 pm. And the size of those creatures?!?!?! Huge!

And full of crab fat! And oil ... to the point that our fingers had orange stains... only way to remove was by rubbing calamansi. And we had a "mountain" contest... whoever had the highest mound of talangka debris was the winner!!!

My sister, Renee, used to kid me that the fat from the shell(cover) was a "baby bat" because it really looks like a bat... as in "paniki" bat not baseball bat! Hehehe So for a while I believed her and gave her my share. Then I realized, after a long while, I was duped!

Another funny story.... Jing, Celina, Mariger and I were having lunch at my house ages ago. If I am not mistaken ... Assumtion College days.... and there was talangka ... Mariger asked

" Masarap ba yan?" hahahahaha and Jing, Celina and I all said at the same time, "HINDI!!!!" hahahaha Mariger became suspicious and tried one, since then, she became a fan.

Today is Wednesday, Baclaran day... as I was walking towards the church... I heard a vendor say "TALANGKA!!!!" I looked around where the sound was coming from and saw her "banera" with live Talangka. I told her I would get all... but it just turned out to be 2 kilos only because.... as usual... I was late ... it was 1:30 pm already.

I was so excited to go home already and eat. I think I prayed very fast in church, I couldn't concentrate anymore. I used two big cooking pots, rinsed the crabs very well and added 1 T. of rock salt in each pot and about 1 cup water. I cooked it until it was dark orange in color.

Then I used my weighing scale and divided into four because I wanted to share with my Kuya, Ate (I even asked Hermie to bring it to the office of Kuya Butch, my brother in law.) and with Tita Portia. They all wanted more but I told them it was bad for us.... hehehehe... actually it is only bad for me ... but if I am only going to eat half a kilo, then they wouldn't get more. Thank goodness I had my lipid profile(cholesterol) test done in the morning.

While we were all eating our talangka in our own homes .... we all remembered Grandma. Thank you Grandma for all the wonderful, happy and delicious TALANGKA memories you have given your grandchildren!