xroads Philippine Sea Salts™

I went from the blistering inferno of the Philippines to a big giant cookie factory 😁 in LA. Watch out Willie!!! is working on a big deal!!! More to come.

This is a little manifesto, so it’s going to be long…
skip it if you’re not ready to read it…
I’ve been traveling around the Philippines for six weeks now; reconnecting with my artisan partners. I call them that because I believe in creating a partnership with my suppliers; It’s a two-way street for me in how I run my business. Many of you don’t know why I do what I do.

Almost two decades ago, I started xroads Philippine Sea Salts as way to connect with my family in the Philippines. Since then, it has evolved into something more than I could have ever imagined. I became aware, then conscious of the people behind the veil of the Philippine Salt Industry. You can learn more about their struggles and what has happened to the industry since the signing of the Salt Iodization Act or ASIN Law as it’s known (Republic Act 8172) in 1995 now that the current news is more relevant. The signing of a new law, The Salt Industry Development Act (Republic Act 11985) on March 11, 2024 is just the beginning to help salt farmers and the dying salt industry towards a path of recovery not only for the farmers and their families but for the entire Philippine salt industry itself. Since we began xroads in 2005, the Philippine Salt Industry was about 50% self-sufficient. This means the country had to import salts from other countries in order to meet the country’s own demand. Today, it’s only 7% self-sufficient. You can figure out how much has to be imported from other countries. This is obviously an economic loss to Philippine salt farmers and to the Philippine economy.

Part 1 of 2

Good morning everyone from Region 5 - Bicol, home of the famous volcano Mount Mayon. Arrived in the dark last night and woke up to this. She's still sleeping amongst the clouds. is on the hunt in Bicol!

Had dinner by myself last night and decided to go vegetarian. I'm really a flexatarian - those who know... know 😁. I was hangry, so I ordered all "small" plates - the pinakbet, adobong kangkong, laing, ubud lumpia... and rice of course. I had big 👀. Needless to say, a small serving here is not so small and "vegetarian" is in parentheses. They were all delicious dishes btw. A must try vs all the fiesta dishes that many know.

But before I entered the joint, guess who I ran into... Momar from Asian Journal all the way from New York and a transplant from the Bay Area (those who know... know) ... we apparently have been crossing paths for 2 weeks and finally ran into each other in Makati... in a huge mall!

Pit stop for freshly baked mallunggay pandesal. It can't get any better than this.. I 💗 Iloilo ❣️

Another early start to the day. This time it's a 2 car enterage for my visit to another asinan. Another asinan?! you say. Why yes... another asinan! Stay tuned... is on the hunt 😁

High stakes negotiations with the ladies of CROWN... stay tuned for some beautiful new packaging for our Asin Tibuok aka from . My reward... a baby coconut (buko). I think I got the better deal ❣️

The story of our aka has been a beautiful collaboration with Msgr. Crisologo Manongas and his family. I first came upon this salt as a gift and I knew then as I know today, that this salt truly is a gift. I was reluctant to give it the tagline "The Dinosaur EGG" but YOU chefs, and everyone that came upon seeing it, kept telling me... that it is! And so, we at xroads Philippine Sea Salts™ embarked on a journey with the Manongas family to share their story and the story of the Asin Tibuok. Thank you Jordan Winters and for continuing to share this truly Filipino ASIN.

, Fostering Local Artisan Prosperity, Globally. It’s not just salt… it’s ASIN™

It’s not a dinosaur egg… it’s a rare salt from the Philippines making a comeback It may look and feel like a dinosaur egg, but this is Asin Tibuok, an otherworldly salt rooted in the traditions of a Philippines island.

Thank you for sharing the story of our artisan partners and for stopping by our booth at the Winter .

Asin Tibuok aka (TM) is exclusively distributed by . To learn more about this beautiful sea salt, go to our website- link in bio 🧡 🇵🇭

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Posted • Of all the things we brought back from the Winter Fancy Food Show, this was by far my most favorite! ❤️ 😍

What is it, you ask? It's Asin Tibuok or a salt "dinosaur egg", an unbroken hand made artisinal sea salt made by just a few families in the Bohol province.

The process involves many steps including soaking coconut husks in seawater for months and then sun dried. The husks are slowly smoked with hard woods of mango and mahogany, creating a coconut charcoal combination. This activated charcoal is used to filter seawater which is roasted over open fire in clay pots until salt forms into a solid dome. It's a hot, painstaking technique that results in a salt with a smoky complex finish.

I'm so excited to use this very special salt and grateful to and for shining a light on this labor of ❤️

What should I make with it? Comment below!

Lunch meeting with on his first trip to Sunny San Diego 😎 . Excited to be working with this talented young man on our documentary . Stay tuned...

It's been a week and I'm still overwhelmed by the reception I and our Asin Tibuok aka received at the Food & Wine Conference in Napa. Thank you Simon for having xroads Philippine Sea Salts be a part of your conference. I had a great time meeting all the chefs, sponsors and participants!

Our partnership with the Manongas Family has been a beautiful collaboration from the beginning. We share the same dedication and appreciation to preserving the craft, a true Filipino heritage salt. Asin Tibuok aka now available worldwide from and direct from the family to your kitchens in Philippines from Asin Tibuok.

In Pictures: How Filipino salt makers saved their craft The traditional asin tibuok salt is only found on one island in the Philippines. Thanks to these artisans, the craft hasn’t been lost.

Happy to share that hard work really is paying off.

aka (as named by chefs who've seen it) is truly one of the rarest salts in the world.

Brought to you by xroads Philippine Sea Salts™ ( ) from the Philippines 🇵🇭. The official distributor, USFDA Agent of record, and partner of the Manongas family.We are so proud and happy of its recognition.

https://youtu.be/8aY9noX3XOs?si=u1QYvzZ5KWnvCVbe

I was so excited about the avo toasts that I forgot to take a picture of me and Fides 😜. I had a wonderful time catching up with my co-conspirator and executive producer for our project . We are officially in post production and the film is in the hands of our US Editing Team. https://www.asinmovie.com/discussed over avocado toast at COMING SOON...we promise!

Happy to share that hard work really is paying off.

aka (as named by chefs who've seen it) is truly one of the rarest salts in the world.

Brought to you by xroads Philippine Sea Salts™ ( ) from the Philippines 🇵🇭. The official distributor, USFDA Agent of record, and partner of the Manongas family.We are so proud and happy of its recognition.

This "Dinosaur Egg" is One Of The Rarest Salts In The World | Still Standing | Insider Business Asin tibuok, nicknamed the dinosaur egg, is one of the rarest salts in the world. In the 1960s, salt-making families in the Philippine island of Bohol would ...

Asin Tibuok aka The Dinosaur Egg from the Philippines to Simon's table... get inspired!

First pit stop... seeing old friends... Chef Matt Spector and his beautiful wife Chef Sonjia Spector . They cook really, really good food!!! Really!

A must try dish. Bravo , and the team for your dedication to sharing the multifaceted and diverse culture of the Philippines 🇵🇭.

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Posted • “Sibut Misua is a dish I truly miss ever since I came here to the U.S. I tried to find similar ingredients in different Chinatowns, but I couldn’t because these ingredients are only prepared in Chinese medicinal and herbal stores across Binondo.” — Lourdes Hermosura Chang, 64 - Born and raised in Binondo, currently lives in New York ✍🏻🇵🇭🇨🇳

Of all the different types of noodles that you’ll find in China, Misua is unique only to Fujian—you won’t be able to find it any other Chinese provinces. This is one of many ingredients that Hokkien migrants brought to the Philippines. Misua noodles are generally served in a broth called Sibut, which the Chinese believed had medicinal properties.

🍜 Our version of Sibut Misua, or Chinese Four Herbs soup, brought to you by Chef is simple but rich in flavor and steeped with specific spices that hand carried from his recent trip to Binondo. The four Sibut spices are: Dang Gui, Shu Di, Dang Shen,and Chuan Xiong. The dish will include Black Silkie Chicken, Goji Berries, Scallions, Cilantro, and Misua noodles—it’ll also be accompanied with pre-colonial Filipino salt Asin Tibuok (from ).

The party is over! It was a fun time meeting new friends and customers. Thank you to all who purchased our products, and thank you for supporting our artisan partners. See you next year at The National Heirloom Expo!

Happy customers supporting our artisan partners the Cabiloa Romblon Weavers Network. Look at that "bayong" market bag!

Guess who came to see me at the Heirloom Expo... thx for stopping by !

We ❤️ 🇵🇭 ASIN!

The show has begun! Come see us at The National Heirloom Expo. Come and see our Asin Tibuok aka from

Working hard on a big, big... BIG order 😁. Stay tuned.. our beautiful sea salts from the Philippines 🇵🇭 is headed to other countries 😉. Announcement coming soon!

Beautiful painting for from the 🇵🇭. Thank you Chef x for showcasing our for your pop-up dinners.

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Posted • it’s NATIONAL UBE DAY 💜

Often seen in desserts across Filipino cuisine, Ube is a purple yam native to the Philippines carrying an earthy vanilla-like taste with a coconut aroma. The crop has played an essential role in local food culture for more than four centuries — Bohol currently reigns as the top Ube producing province in the Philippines, accounting for 35% of the country’s production in 2019. It’s no surprise that we paired this with our Bohol-based salt Asin Tibuok.

Istorya’s Chef was inspired by Kamoteng Kahoy, or Cassava, that she wanted to break people’s expectations and turn this often seen dessert into something savory. She used honey to complement the sweetness and then created a sauce that combines coconut milk and fresh turmeric. Garnished with caramelized coconut crumble and shredded coconut, the dish is then topped off with pre-colonial Filipino salt Asin Tibuok.

📸: .bnvntra

My partner in this big world of filmmaking
at my side to continue on this journey.

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Posted • In Vegas for documentary work. For reals. For the first time since we started the journey almost 2 years ago, my co-producer Lennie DiCarlo and I are out together in public.

If you're in San Francisco and want one of these the Asin Tibuok aka or our Ilocano Asin, go to the Ferry Building Village Market. They still have a few in stock.

Small businesses supporting each other can create truly award winning chocolates inspired by Philippine flavors. × building a partnership with the common goal of showcasing quality ingredients 🇵🇭

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Posted • Ilocano Asin is a mild, mineral-rich sea salt. The structure of the sea salts contain both the granular (sal gris) and flake (fleur de sal) crystals. This composition provides texture from the hollow crystals while the flakiness melts immediately on the palate to yield instantaneous taste. This is a moist, naturally white sea salt from the pure seawaters of Pangasinan. Wonderful, bright, crisp flavors powered by underlying minerals define this complex and well balanced sea salt.

To learn more check out this video: https://www.philippineseasalts.com/ilocano-asin produced by our partner and friend Lennie DiCarlo, founder and CEO of

To taste the experience, check out our award winning Pinch of Pangasinan, a 50% Oat (Vegan) Milk chocolate that is perfect for any time of day.

Pick some up at at SFO International Terminal and soon .grocer in NYC starting June 2nd!
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Old Salt inspiring new cuisine... way to go Chef Lo .orlando and Chef aka