Kapis chips: New delicacy from the sea
Filipinos generally love to eat. We even have snack time in between meals. But nowadays, we tend to demand for nutritious foods as we become more conscious of our health. This is why we constantly seek ways on how we can keep on munching while still maintaining a healthy body.
In the coastal waters of Samal, Bataan, a new and unique healthy snack is being developed to cater to the Pinoy palate – the kapis chips.
Kapis or windowpane oyster, is known in making Christmas lanterns, doors and wall decors, decorative items such as lamps, and other novelty items.
However, in April 2013, a member of Kaliwanag Rural Improvement Club, a cooperative in Samal that engages in the development of kapis- based products, thought of finding a way on how the
kapis meat can be turned into a useful and edible product. This gave birth to the kapis chips.
“Before, after getting the shells, the meat is usually thrown away. Since Filipinos are very fond of eating finger foods, we thought of utilizing the meat of
kapis into chips that could also be an opportunity for additional livelihood,” said Dr. Lilian Garcia, assistant regional director of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) Region III.
Kaliwanag Rural Improvement Club is only one of the cooperatives in Samal that is being supported by the Bureau of Agricultural Research through the project “Technology Utilization and Promotion of Windowpane Oysters Products.”
Implemented by BFAR, provincial government of Bataan, and local government unit of Balanga, the project aims to utilize and to promote kapis and
kapis- based products through product development; packaging, labeling, and facilities improvement; and capability building on marketing and enterprise development.
There are many chips that are now available in the market. But the kapis chips’ novelty and unique taste somewhat make them stand out than the rest of the pack. “In terms of size, kapis chips are smaller than the commercially-available chips such as the tahong chips. Those who we were able to taste both of the chips said the kapis chips are tastier. However, those claims still need to be verified. Also, the taste is relative, depending on the preference of the consumer,” Garcia said.
Nutrition-wise, Garcia said the kapis is very rich in protein. “The chips, however, still need to be tested in the laboratory for its nutritional content. In terms of shelf-life, the kapis chips can last for about six months but this has to be validated also through laboratory testing,” she noted. Currently, there are two available flavors of the kapis chips, one is original and the other is sweet and spicy.
Aside from chips, kapis meat is also turned into other home-made Filipino food products such as adobo, afritada, shanghai, daing, and bagoong. According to Gladys Resubal, one of the coproject leaders, the development of kapis chips is still at its infancy stage. “Only few members of the Kaliwanag RIC do the processing of kapis chips. It is still on a small-scale basis. But some of them are able to sell it already to their balikbayan friends and to local tourists and buyers during trade fairs and exhibits,” Resubal said.
“We still need to identify its nutritive value and shelf life, and improve its packaging and labeling to make it more competitive. Once our product is ready, we will also introduce it extensively to the markets through promotion and marketing especially to the balikbayans and local tourists. In fact, some balikbayans in Bataan usually look for kapis chips whenever they go home and make it as their pasalubong,” Garcia said.
The increasing curiosity of people to try new products is one of the factors that will help boost the Philippine kapis industry. “Our kapis industry is just a budding industry. With the right interventions, the development of kapis chips and new kapis- based products would provide additional income to the fisherfolk of Bataan, thereby helping make the industry better,” Garcia shared.