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- Title:
- Dugong Dinner (Part 2)
- Date Created:
- 2021-02-06
- Description:
- The head of the travelling Dominican missionaries took P100 from their scant kitty and resolved to donate it to their host even if it was insufficient to cover even the cost of rice the 39 of them had been consuming for months. It was suggested he use it to partially pay porters and cooks. But the Jesuit refused resolutely. The priests of his domain came with whatever supplies they could to feed the 80 unexpected guests. He gave thanks that “nothing was owed the Indians” and that his pantry was always full. It was considered a miracle that two dugong had been caught, “a thing which had not been seen before…for it was .. a great miracle.” Each one, if adult, may have been about 2.6 meters long weighing 300 kilos. Perhaps the marine mammals were preserved with salt or by sun-drying or smoking? The sea-grass eating Dugong dugon is related to manatees and sea cows. It has been hunted since prehistoric times for its meat, oil, skin and bones. There is a 5,000-year-old, Neolithic painting of dugong in Tambun Cave, Ipoh, Malaysia. Some think it is the inspiration for mermaids.
- Subjects:
- Dugong Cooking, Spanish Catholic Church -- Missions -- Philippines
- Exhibition:
- 100 Minus 8
- Source:
- Read “The Dugong Debacle” about the importance of sea grass meadows in SafariNews. November 2, 2019. Sketch by Graham Kearney.
- Type:
- Image;Still Image
- Format:
- image/jpeg
Source
- Preferred Citation:
- "Dugong Dinner (Part 2)", Philippine Food History, Felice P. Sta. Maria
- Reference Link:
- felicepstamaria.net/items/coll182.html