On Saturday night, KC and I ventured out to the beach (which took about 15 steps), and we waited on grass mats with the locals for the palolo to arrive. Palolo happens once a year, when small brown and green worms emerge in the middle of the night from the coral. The Faleasao residents come with flashlights and fishing nets to catch this rare culinary delicacy. KC and I joined the entire village in the coastal water around 1 am (when the palolo emerge!) to see what all the hub-bub was about. We did enjoy a few raw, tasty morsels (quite salty and tangy...not my favorite). Some great picture taking also ensued (see below). Mostly, it was just a great cultural experience to enjoy the annual festivity with the entire town and try a food I would have never experienced outside of Oceania. Eventually, we hope to have some fried with eggs (how they tend to be cooked here). Oh...KC and I also found out that they are not exactly worms...though they look like it. THEY'RE SPERM! Coral sperm...oh the foods people find delicious...and this once a year event is apparently their one night of procreation? Now I'm not a scientist, this is just the local word- but I think I'm going to still think of them as just worms...somehow it's more appetizing to me. ENJOY!
Wow Courtney. You are quite brave. They actually are worms, or part of worms (the reproductive part) that float to the surface. Here's a neat link if you want to know more:
ReplyDeletehttp://seapics.com/feature-subject/marine-invertebrates/palolo-worm-pictures.html
I'm curious how the people in your village knew that Saturday was 'the day'?
Think Dad and I will pass on this delicacy. Are they any better cooked? Yikes. So many new adventures...Hang in there kiddo!
ReplyDeleteLove ya,
Mom and Dad :)