MANILA, Philippines - I?ve been to Pagudpud! (Yipee!)

The view up there is breathtaking. Windmills, clear light blue sky, stars you can almost touch at night, a clean breeze... If it were just a few degrees colder, it would be perfect!

But of course, Ilocos is also very much known?and loved?for its food! Ilocos is bagnet. And pinakbet. And longganisa. Flavors that pounce on you with saltiness that pricks your tongue enough to awaken your senses, like a stern mother with hard-earned wrinkles lovingly slapping you to wake up your taste buds.

The bagnet is a daring soldiers?s pulutan. Really, if you think about it, this is half-chicharon and half-liempo. Declaring war against cholesterol levels, the Ilocanos bombard your system with fat against fat and layer this with salt (using bagoong) to make sure all that fat stays stuck! It?s a war with definite victory for the eater with strong arteries.

The dip is something they call ?KBL,? perhaps an ode to their beloved Apo Marcos (the political party of former President Ferdinand Marcos, who hails from Ilocos Norte, was called Kilusang Bagong Lipunan), but more relevantly standing for kamatis, bagoong and lasona (their term for sibuyas Tagalog or onions).

Their longganisas are also the best in the country. Whether big or small, skinless or wrapped, these are definitely packed with flavor. The ones we bought from Vigan were sausage-sized, only around 3-inches long; but the ones they call Pagudpud longganisa are longer, around six to seven inches, and served skinless.

I also got to watch a friendly vendor make the famous Ilocos empanada. Man, this thing is just drowned in oil! And apparently it is orange for no other reason than food coloring. I believe this is best eaten off the street, just as they leave the sidewalk vendor?s frier, because then you can attack the empanada with all its crunchiness?and all that oil?still intact!

But Ilocos is not just about meats. Surrounded by water, especially when you hit the northernmost tip of Pagudpud, you will also find some very interesting sea creatures.

They have this very tiny fish called ?ipon.? These are fish that are so small they almost look like worms or togue (beansprouts). But as they are water creatures, they are so soft and delicate. And when served kilawin-style (vinegared), it makes for a very refreshing appetizer! Sometimes they also serve this sauteed or in a bowl with soup; but I love it best as a kind of kinilawin.

Most interesting of all are their crabs. After meeting the curacha in Dumaguete, I was introduced to the coconut crab at the Saud Resort in Pagudpud. Not too familiar with the coconut crab, I had to do a bit of research: according to the National Geographic (www.nationalgeographic.com), ?the coconut crab is the largest invertebrate found on land anywhere in the world, with legs spanning more than three feet and weighing around nine pounds.? But more interestingly, a quick wiki on this creature told me that the coconut crab (birgus latro) is known for its ability to crack coconuts with its strong pincers!

The secret to eating this crab, though, is in pricking its huge, huge balls! And I mean this in no malicious way because it literally has a huge sack underneath it, close to its legs, which, when pricked, oozes out so much crab fat it?s as if it were icing to be spread on a cake! The mustard-colored mixture is bitter on its own, but somehow, once drizzled with calamansi, becomes citrusy-sweet. It is really a kind of taba-ng-talangka heaven when you discover the coconut crab.

Truly, Ilocos is a kind of foodie-heaven, balls and meat included!