The dried seafood section of Iloilo City's Central market might as well be considered as another pasalubong shop as row of stalls selling a variety of dried seafood vie for customers attention. With the entrance located along Guanco Street, the distinct smell of these seafoods will greet you upon entering the premises and might never come off after that unless you change your clothes and take a bath afetrwards.
With a large variety of items ranging from the usual pinakas nga guma-a, balingon and tabagak (daing, dilis and tuyo) to danggit and dried squid of all sizes, one might find it hard to choose among these breakfast treats.
There are also some items I consider as novelty since they are not usually found and they even get a second on most tourists who drop by. These include fish tocino, fish tapa, fish bones and my latest "favorite" item; boneless dilis. Yup you read it right! An ordinary dried seafood made extra ordinary by making it sort of "impossible" until you've actually seen it.
Another item of curisotiy among tourists are these brown mounds locally known as guinamos. This what actually what is known by most as bagoong, but unlike it's more famous counterpart this one's much drier, finer and compact.
A favorite of mine whether as part of laswa or just plain fried is lison - a big fish of the same name halved, dried and salt-cured. For those who love the non-bony part of daing, then this one's for you.
And last but not the least, is the impossible made possible, boneless dilis.