Walk through the El Nido public market early in the morning and you’ll smell it before you see it: rows of silvery dried fish, stacks of flattened squid and baskets of tiny anchovies, all salted and sun-dried by fishing families along the Palawan coast. For many visitors, dried fish is either a revelation or a mystery. For Filipinos, it is everyday comfort food — the backbone of a cheap, delicious breakfast and one of the most popular pasalubong (homecoming gifts) from Palawan.
This guide focuses on dried fish specifically for curious food travelers in El Nido who want to know what the different types are, how to eat them, where to buy good quality, and whether you can take them home. If you want a broader overview of local cuisine first, see our must-try Filipino food in El Nido guide.
Why Dried Fish Matters in Palawan
Palawan has some of the richest fishing grounds in the Philippines, and for coastal communities without reliable refrigeration, salting and sun-drying have long been the simplest way to preserve a good catch. Even today, you’ll see fish spread on bamboo racks or nets in front of homes in rural barangays outside El Nido town on sunny days. The result is a shelf-stable, protein-rich food that is cheap, intensely flavored and deeply woven into Filipino home cooking.
In Filipino the general term is daing or tuyo, though both words also refer to specific styles (more on that below). The broader tradition is described in Wikipedia’s entry on daing, and the fisheries that supply it are overseen nationally by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR).
Types of Dried Fish You’ll Find in El Nido
Names vary by region and seller, but these are the types most visitors will encounter:
| Name | What it is | Flavor & texture | Best eaten |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuyo | Small whole fish (often herring or sardine types), salted and dried | Very salty, crunchy when fried | Breakfast with garlic rice and vinegar |
| Danggit | Rabbitfish split open and sun-dried, lightly salted | Crispy, delicate, less salty than tuyo | Fried until golden; a premium pasalubong |
| Daing (split fish) | Larger fish butterflied, salted and dried | Meaty, salty, slightly chewy | Fried or grilled with tomatoes and onions |
| Daing na bangus | Milkfish marinated in vinegar, garlic and pepper, sometimes only half-dried | Tangy, garlicky, juicy | Fried as part of “bangsilog” breakfast |
| Dried pusit | Squid flattened and dried | Sweet-salty, chewy | Grilled as a beer snack |
| Dilis | Tiny dried anchovies | Crunchy, savory | Fried, often candied with sugar as a snack |
| Gourmet tuyo in oil | Fried tuyo flaked and bottled in olive or vegetable oil with garlic and chili | Rich, spicy, ready to eat | Over rice or pasta; easy gift |
How Filipinos Eat Dried Fish
The classic way is simple: fry the fish in a little oil until crisp, then serve it with sinangag (garlic fried rice), a fried egg, sliced tomatoes and a small dish of spiced vinegar for dipping. This combination is a breakfast staple across the country. In El Nido you’ll find versions of it at carinderias and silog eateries for a fraction of the price of a resort breakfast.
Other common pairings include:
- Champorado and tuyo: sweet chocolate rice porridge eaten with salty fried tuyo — an unexpected sweet-salty combination many Filipinos adore, especially on rainy mornings.
- Ginisang monggo: mung bean stew, often topped with flakes of fried dried fish.
- Pinakbet and vegetables: crumbled dried fish adds savory depth to vegetable dishes.
- Pulutan: grilled dried squid or candied dilis as a drinking snack with local beer.
First-timers often find tuyo too salty on its own. The trick is to eat small bites with lots of rice and a dip of vinegar, which cuts the salt and grease.
Where to Buy Dried Fish in El Nido
The main place is the El Nido public market, where several stalls specialize in dried seafood. Go in the morning for the best selection. Some sari-sari stores and pasalubong shops in town also sell vacuum-packed or bottled versions, which are better for travel.
If you’re flying out of Puerto Princesa, the city’s public market and pasalubong centers have a much larger range, and prices are typically lower. Many travelers buy there on the way out rather than carrying smelly packages around for a week.
Prices change with the season and the catch, but as a rough guide in 2026 expect tuyo and dilis to be among the cheapest options, while danggit and good-quality dried squid are premium items that can cost several times more per kilo. Bottled gourmet tuyo usually sells by the jar. Ask the price per kilo or per pack before the vendor weighs anything, and see our edible pasalubong guide for other food gifts to combine with it.
How to Choose Good-Quality Dried Fish
- Look: the fish should look evenly dry and have a natural silvery or golden color. Avoid pieces with dark spots, fuzzy patches or a slimy surface — signs of mold or incomplete drying.
- Smell: dried fish always smells strong, but it should smell of the sea and salt, not sour or rotten.
- Touch: well-dried fish feels firm and slightly flexible. Fish that feels damp or sticky may spoil quickly in humid weather.
- Packaging: for travel, choose vacuum-sealed packs or sealed jars. Products sold in retail packaging in the Philippines may carry registration from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Philippines, which is a useful quality signal for bottled goods.
- Sustainability: very small juvenile fish of larger species are a sign of overfishing. Buying common, abundant species such as anchovies and herring-type fish is generally the more sustainable choice.
Taking Dried Fish Home: Packing and Customs
Dried fish is a popular gift, but it needs some care:
- Double-bag everything. Use the vendor’s plastic, then a zip bag, then a second bag. The smell travels — through clothing, suitcases and airplane overhead bins.
- Check airline rules. Domestic Philippine flights routinely carry dried fish as checked baggage, but some airlines dislike strong-smelling items in the cabin. Bottled tuyo in oil counts as a liquid if carried on, so pack it in checked luggage.
- Declare it abroad. Many countries allow dried fish for personal use but require it to be declared, and rules change. Australia and New Zealand are particularly strict on food imports, and the United States and EU have their own limits on animal products. Check your home country’s customs website before flying, and always declare when in doubt.
- Don’t cook it in your hotel room. Frying dried fish produces a very strong smell; many hotels and homestays prohibit it. Ask your host — some guesthouses will happily fry it for you in their kitchen for breakfast.
Try It Before You Buy It
If you’re unsure whether you’ll like dried fish, order it first in a local eatery. A tuyo or danggit breakfast set is inexpensive and gives you a quick sense of the flavor. Another option is to buy a small amount at the market and take it to a paluto restaurant, where cooks will prepare market-bought seafood for a fee. That way you can taste a few types side by side and decide which ones are worth carrying home.
Three Easy Ways to Cook It at Home
Once you’re back home, dried fish is easy to cook as long as you have good ventilation (an outdoor grill or a well-ventilated kitchen helps a lot):
- Classic fried tuyo or danggit. Rinse briefly if very salty, pat dry, then shallow-fry in a little oil over medium heat for one to two minutes per side until crisp. Drain on paper and serve with rice, sliced tomatoes and a dip of vinegar with crushed garlic, chili and black pepper.
- Tuyo pasta. Flake fried tuyo (or use bottled gourmet tuyo), then toss with spaghetti, plenty of olive oil, garlic, chili flakes and a squeeze of calamansi or lemon. It’s a popular Filipino café dish and an easy way to introduce dried fish to skeptical friends.
- Dried fish fried rice. Crumble a few pieces of fried dried fish into day-old rice fried with garlic, scallions and an egg. It works well with leftover danggit or dilis and makes a satisfying breakfast.
Store unopened dried fish in an airtight container in a cool, dry place, or in the freezer for longer keeping. Bottled tuyo in oil should be refrigerated once opened and used within a few weeks.
Dried fish isn’t the most glamorous part of El Nido’s food scene, but it’s one of the most authentic. It connects the town’s tourist cafés to the fishing families who supplied its tables long before the first resort opened — and a crispy plate of danggit with garlic rice is one of the best breakfasts you’ll eat in Palawan.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between tuyo and danggit?
Tuyo is small whole fish that is heavily salted and dried, while danggit is rabbitfish split open and sun-dried with less salt. Danggit is crispier, milder and usually more expensive.
Where can I buy dried fish in El Nido?
The El Nido public market has dried seafood stalls, best visited in the morning. Pasalubong shops sell vacuum-packed and bottled versions, and Puerto Princesa markets offer a larger selection.
How do you eat tuyo?
Fry it until crisp and eat it with garlic fried rice, egg, tomatoes and spiced vinegar. Some Filipinos also pair it with sweet chocolate rice porridge called champorado.
Can I bring dried fish home from the Philippines?
Many countries allow dried fish for personal use if declared, but rules vary and some countries are strict. Check your home country customs rules before flying and declare it on arrival.
Is dried fish safe to eat?
Well-dried fish from reputable sellers is safe when cooked properly. Avoid pieces that look moldy, feel damp or smell sour, and choose sealed packaging for travel.
