Preserving tradition through ‘Etag’.

Martina Malidom is an Igorot who has been making and selling etag since 2006 in Ganduyan, Sagada. She used to be a teacher but chose this profession because it is more profitable, and she likes it because she does not have to work for someone else. Her husband and children help her in making etag. According to her, two whole pigs worth of etag do not last a week and sell out quickly in the market. All the pigs they butcher are raised by them. The process of making etag is very meticulous, taking almost a month before it can be sold in the market. ETAG is the traditional way of preserving pork. It is a slab of pork cured in salt for about a week and then smoked for almost a month. Huey Zacarias (Chow Food Crawl)