Eating in Candaba: fish, buro and salted eggs

Candaba's food is mostly cooked at home, not in restaurants. The place to taste the town is the Candaba Public Market on the Candaba-Baliwag Road.

Freshwater fish

Cultivated fish are a major product: tilapia, mudfish (bulig), native and African catfish, kanduli, carp and gourami. Freshwater prawns are a must-buy, and sometimes there are lotus stalks, good sautéed with garlic, onion and tamarind.

Buro

The local buro, fermented rice and fish, is the classic partner. A typical platter is buro sautéed with garlic and onion, roasted bulig and fresh mustard leaves.

Duck eggs

Ducks are a big industry, and Candaba's ebun buru, salted eggs, are delicate and less salty than most. Eat them with rice and tomatoes.

Afternoon snack

One market stall sells ready-to-eat fried quail in the afternoon.

What not to order

The town has banned hunting wild birds. Do not eat wild bird dishes: they are illegal here, and bird flu outbreaks have occurred in the area.