It's on the verge of extinction. I'm not really sure why. It used to be ubiquitous -- in all northbound buses and bus stations. But recently, there has been a decline in its production, and it has become less visible.
I'm talking about this cheap chicharon. That which is made from carabao skin (but is claimed to be pork rind), deep-fried in naturally-hydrogenated cooking oil that has turned brown and a bit rancid from repeated use, and seasoned with lots and lots of salt and monosodium glutamate. It's yummy, really.
I call it "plastic-balloon chicharon". No, not because it has toxic chemicals (its cholesterol and salt content is too much for the arteries, though). It is filled up with air. The inner section is multiloculated, composed mainly of air-spaces. One bite then is actually equivalent to a mere 30-40% of the original size. That's a psychological reassurance that you are getting only 30-40% of the assumed nutrients (if ever there are any) and dangerous substances. Plus, you also ingest sublethal doses of clinically important microorganisms (Salmonella typhi, hepatitis A/E virus, Escherichia coli, etc.). That's good, because you're giving your immune system its natural vaccine and booster dose (Google-search this one: hygiene hypothesis / old friends theory).
My favorite snack during my weekly trips to Tarlac and back: "plastic balloon chicharon". I'm glad this was available at the Dau Bus Terminal last week when Mom and I returned to Manila. Cheap, somewhat unhygienic, but definitely tasty and crunchy. All for 20 pesos. It is endangered. We may have to settle eventually to more commercially prepared and quality-controlled chicharon like RL Lapid's (which is also one of my favorites).
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