People of Sikka Village Flores Island Indonesia also Eat Barnacle

Some barnacles are edible and considered an exotic cuisine (see “Edible Barnacle, Artful and Tasty!“).  They are famous delicacy, particularly PERTHEBEI (Pollicipes pollicipes) in Spain and Portugal, PICOROCOS (Austromegabalanus psittacus) in Chile and KAMENOTE (Capitulum mitella) in Japan.

Surprisingly, in a small village called Sikka in southern coast of Flores Island, during a field trip to collect barnacle for my research, I found many fresh removal scars of barnacles. What I was thinking is my barnacle already taken by someone! And while looking around for some clues finally I saw some locals “grazing” for barnacles. From them I know they do it almost every morning for their lunch, which usually cooks in a spicy coconut milk. Hmmm… sounds yummy.

Two of some Sikka women “grazing” for barnacles during low tide

Crushed and picked-out, commonly cook in spicy cocconut milk-broth

The softparts inside the shell of barnacle, collected in the bucket

Tetraclita kuroshioensis, hunted for food in Sikka