How This Rare ‘Dinosaur Egg’ Sea Salt is Taking Over the Internet and the Woman Behind Its Comeback, Filam Entrepreneur Lennie Dicarlo

By Jennifer Redondo 

In a world where TikTok trends and viral videos decide what’s in, discovering something truly unique feels like striking gold. Enter asin tibuok, the “dinosaur egg” of sea salts. This centuries-old Filipino treasure is as rare as it is fascinating, and thanks to xroads Philippine Sea Salts, it is finally taking center stage. Behind this incredible revival is Lennie DiCarlo, who has spent nearly 20 years turning her passion for culture and sustainability into a global movement.

The company takes its moniker ‘xroads’ as a ‘crossroads’ of multicultures. Not only because of the various centuries old cultural influences, but the geographic location of the Philippines. The country sits  in-between China, Asia, Indonesia, Australia; right there in the middle. X marks the spot! It's a crossroads of cultures. It's a crossroads of the geographical location and Lennie DiCarlo talks about how she was at a crossroads in her own life, and how that pushed her to start xroads Philippine Sea Salts. 

1. Tell us about yourself, Lennie. 

Lennie DiCarlo: I'm Lennie DiCarlo. I was born in Quezon City, Philippines. My parents, Alejandria and Eduardo Buenaflor immigrated to the United States in the late 1960s. My dad was in the U.S. Navy, therefore, I am a military brat. They settled in San Diego and they've since divorced. After her retirement, my mother went back to the Philippines about 20 years ago. My husband, Anthony, and I helped get her settled, and that’s when the idea of a business began. 

My mother has land and a huge family in Alaminos, the region in Pangasinan. Asin is “salt” in Tagalog and an asinan is “a saltwork”. Pang is “by way of”. When you put the words together, it’s Pangasinan which is the “land of saltworks” in the Philippines, where they make the traditional hand harvested sea salts that the region is known for.  

2. How did you get into the salt business? 

Lennie DiCarlo: When I was 40 years old, my husband and I started going to the Philippines to check on my mother. Going to the Philippines as an adult is so different than when I was a kid. Now, I see everything through different eyes. I saw more poverty and the hardships. I saw more of those who don’t have versus those who do have. There is, unfortunately, a huge disparity. 

At the time, I was working full-time as a financial analyst in the San Francisco Bay Area, California. My background is in Economics. I graduated from San Diego State University, then moved to the Bay Area to pursue a career in the financial markets. I did that for almost 20 years until the salt found me! We didn’t set out to start the salt business, but I was going through a career change. I was toying with the idea of becoming a chef so I attended the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco while working full-time. 

Then, I went to the Philippines; that changed everything. I brought Philippine sea salt back as a pasalubong (gift) for my chef friends. As I handed it out, they all kept telling me how great the salt was. That’s when I started to pay more attention, and that’s when I had that light bulb moment! In 2004, I spent a whole year just trying to understand the salt business. As an analyst, that's what I did for a living. I know how to research and study businesses. I read as much as I could to learn about not just salt in the Philippines, but salt worldwide. I knew nothing about salt, but I knew how to research.

I then decided to join the Specialty Food Association which is, as its name states, an association focusing on the specialty food markets and allows its members to exhibit at their trade events. We have been exhibiting at The Winter Fancy Food Show on the west coast over the last 20 years. It is the largest specialty food show event for the professional trade on the west coast. This event has opened doors for xroads and provided our products the recognition it deserves. 

We focused on the wholesale side because I knew nothing about retail. I didn't want to fight for shelf space. I knew that would be a struggle because a lot of grocery stores focus on margin and throughput. It’s hard to sell something from a foreign country that's never been to market. Especially, when there is very little known about Philippine sea salts. We took the approach of focusing on educating buyers about the Philippines and the country’s sea salts. This tactic gained inroads into the best kitchens nationwide.

All photos in this article are used with permission from Lennie Dicarlo and xroads Philippine Salts.

xroads’ mission is to provide the highest quality ingredient that the Philippines has to offer via our sea salts, working closely with the micro to small medium enterprises (MSME) so that we can provide this quality product while helping my family and the local Philippine communities. Over the years, our little business focused solely on working with my family. I hired them to bag the salt, deliver it to Manila, and to be shipped to the United States. The salt arrives in bulk packages and is then repacked under USFDA guidelines for the foodservice market in the United States. Our vision has evolved over the years but we remain true to our original mission, providing the highest quality product the Philippines has to offer. Working with the community that cares about their products and the environment from which it comes from. 

3. How were you able to bring Philippine salts across the world and how was it received? 

Lennie DiCarlo: We only offered two salts in the beginning. I didn't want to start bringing in too many products because I didn't know if it was going to work. I just brought in little batches at a time, getting them placed, giving a lot away because that was my marketing budget. I went to various locations from restaurants to hotels and resorts. I also went to specialty retailers to see if the retail side would work. We found that wholesale really worked best for us. I knocked on every door that was available.

I was surprised at first when the older Filipino generation looked down upon the idea of revitalizing the ‘asin’ market and sharing this precious resource with the outside world. They were wondering what was so special about it and why I would bring Philippine sea salts to the U.S. That mindset confused me and made me upset. I couldn’t understand then why they didn’t want to support their own countryman’s salt. Rather than trying to understand, I focused on telling the story of the farmers and how the salt is made so that others can understand what makes Philippine sea salts special. 

The younger generation born in the U.S. or people like me who grew up here, were able to understand xroads’ concept. I came to the U.S. at the age of three, but it wasn’t until I started xroads that I learned more about the Philippines, our culture, history, and people; and thus started to gain Philippine pride. 

With a new focus of storytelling, we started getting noticed. Our marketing efforts relied on the pyramid, top-down approach – I started with top tier chefs because they have the loudest voice. When you have a minimum to zero dollar budget for marketing, you go to the most influential people with the loudest voice. 

By focusing on targeted trade events, reaching the  most influential chefs, and obtaining support from fellow Filipinos in the food trade, interest soon followed and eventually, the consumer market caught on and figured out the high caliber product we were sharing with the world.

4. When did you decide it was time to shift from a side hustle to full time? 

Lennie DiCarlo: I survived the 2008 financial crisis but when 2010 came rolling around, that's when things really hit and my employer began layoffs. I made it through the first round of layoffs, but I wasn’t so lucky in the second round; it was my turn. I received a substantial severance package. I had to decide whether I should search for another job or seriously invest in xroads. That’s when my husband and I decided to jump all in –  head, feet, everything! In 2010,  I went full-time to focus on our business.

It hasn’t been an easy road and we’ve had our moments, but I'm really grateful that our business has survived these many years; we're still here. We went from just me, myself, and I and my husband to a handful of employees today. I have a great team. They’re young, energetic, and motivated. The younger generation wants to know about the Philippines and they’re able to explore and learn more through food. This is where xroads comes in to showcase what salt can do to foods. xroads started with salts, but we have evolved into a company that promotes Filipino artisans and their products. These products bridge the gap between the Philippines and the curious younger generation. 

In 2015,  I was approached by Clara Lapus of Mama Sita. She invited me for lunch, and told me the story of the asin tibuok aka the “dinosaur egg” which they tried to promote in 2012 in the Philippines; but, unfortunately, Filipinos were not interested or did not understand the cultural significance of this salt. The mindset of the Filipino was that it was too expensive – back then it was just 250 pesos ($4-5 USD). Filipinos are very price conscious; and rightfully so.  Nobody wanted to pay that price! The moment I was presented the salt, that was when I had another light bulb moment – I knew exactly what I needed to do! That’s when I happily accepted the Asin Tibuok, which today, through hard work and persistence, has become world famous. When we first introduced the salt to the public in the U.S., people started calling it the “dinosaur egg”, which I initially fought against giving it that name. I didn’t want to call it a dinosaur egg because I believe in educating the public, both Filipinos and non-Filipinos, the true name of our products. Eventually I gave up – it’s become commonly referred to as the dinosaur egg, by culinary professionals and enthusiasts alike!

After my meeting with Clara, I spent another year researching the product and conducting due diligence. I contacted the family who produced the asin tibuok. In 2016, I spent time with the family and I immediately liked what they were doing. I was especially drawn to their purpose, to preserve and protect the asin tibuok; a very similar mindset to our company mission. Upon my return to the U.S., I placed my first order for 1,000 units which took two seasons to make the salt. By the time I received my first shipment, it was late 2017. 

We, thus, began our journey with the asin tibuok by placing it through various distribution channels so that our core market of restaurants, resorts and hotels would have access to it. They were only buying a single unit, sometimes two to three units at a time. But in the past three years, a video of an interview I did went viral. That’s when our product and the family behind it were featured on Business Insider! Eventually, over the span of two years we had four viral videos. And guess what happened after that? Every Filipino now wants the asin tibuok!

5. Tell us about the salt making process. 

Lennie DiCarlo: There are various types of salts that the Philippines has to offer. The process of making the traditional hand-harvested sea salt, what we call the Ilocano Asin, is an arduous and very laborious process. It starts in Pangasinan, Philippines. Salt making in this region is in the most traditional way, using the hand-harvesting method. Salt in the Philippines is very seasonal due to the weather – it's either rainy season (also known as typhoon season) during which they can't make salt; or the dry season when the weather is sweltering hot! When it’s super hot, it is the perfect weather for salt making. During this time, the salinity of the water continues to increase. It's the water in the Pangasinan region that makes one of the best sea salts in the world. The environment around it can affect the flavor profile. The water comes in from the ocean, and the closer to the water source, the better. To make salt the traditional way, there’s no cooking involved, just Mother Nature doing her thing and hand rakes to harvest it when it’s ready.   

During the salt season, the weather is usually at about 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Salt is a crystal and when crystals form, they form a saline structure. In the Philippines, because it's so hot during the season, the salt formed is a hollow saline structure. In cooler climates, that crystal forms slowly and becomes more dense compared to that of the salts in the Philippines. When you have a salt that has a hollow saline structure, it provides a crunch that is surprising on the palate. That crunch is what chefs really like about our sea salts. In the food world, that's texture. You bite into it, you get texture. When sprinkled on a steak, that crunchy texture, and of course the clean flavors, is what attracts chefs to our Ilocano Asin. Chefs are using it to really play up on the fact that you get salt, but it's not overly salty on the palate.

The other variety of salt we have is the Asin Tibuok. The process of making this salt is just as arduous and also a very laborious process. This process can take four to six months from start to finish. It begins with the coconut husk which is soaked in sea water for several months. The reason for this is to take in as much sea minerals. Then, it is chopped and sun dried. The coconut husks are piled high and slowly smoked over a few days which creates activated charcoal. The charcoal is then used to filter more sea water, resulting in a highly mineralized brine. The brine is then roasted in clay pots for up to eight hours which ultimately yields the look of our “dinosaur egg”.

We have other varieties that we recently added - the Asin Tultul from Guimaras Island and BudBud Asin from Panay Island. These two new varieties will add to the arsenal of flavor profiling. The Philippines has several other salt varieties that are coming out to make their names known. You’ll just have to wait and see which ones we bring in to share with the world.

6. What is happening with the salt industry and did you anticipate that you would be helping to change an industry law? 

Lennie DiCarlo:  The Philippines salt industry has recently been undergoing a transformation; a rebirth, which I am happy to report. When we began our business in 2005, the Philippine salt industry provided the country with about 50% self-sufficiency. This means that the other 50% had to be imported in order to meet the overall country demand for salt. In 2024 that number is 7% self-sufficiency. What happened? The industry was dying. There was no support for farmers and the trade; and cheaper imports made its way into the markets.

There is a law called the ASIN Law. In the late 1970s, the Philippine government enacted the ASIN Law, an acronym for an “Act for Salt Iodization Nationwide”. The government enacted this law that required all salt sold to be iodized, but left it to the farmers to shoulder the costs. During this time the Philippines was about 50% self-sufficient nationwide. The country relied on cheaper salt imports from China and Australia to offset the country’s demand consumption. Over the years, cheaper imports took over and salt farmers (asinderos) could not compete. In 2024, the country’s self-sufficiency fell to a measly 7%. What does this mean for our countrymen - salt farmers and workers lost their farm lands, jobs and communities in these regions began to lose an industry. The economic downfall from the ASIN Law directly affected an entire industry.

I began this business not realizing the impact of our mission. The evolution of my business’ vision opened my eyes to something greater that I didn’t understand but only came to fruition as I learned more about where our salts came from, the community of people that depend on its survival and I unknowingly was able to help spread the word of the greatness of these salts and the people behind them. My vision evolved but our mission holds true. Today, the law was recently changed. This year in July, the new law was enacted! I just so happen to be in the Philippines and one of the hotel’s bellhops said to me, "Ma'am, look! You’re in the Manila Bulletin." Marcos signed the new salt law!

I am happy for the farmers, the workers and the industry. Hope is on the horizon for a better, brighter future. It’s only the beginning and I am happy to be a part of the cause for change. I never in my wildest dreams went into this business thinking that I would play a very small part in bringing attention to an industry that truly needed help; and because of this attention and its potential, has helped create change and impacted the livelihood of native asinderos.

7. Tell us about the import-export process. 

Lennie DiCarlo: Shipping and transit is the most expensive component of my business! When you have a whole 10 x 10 container, it is more cost effective. I get the salt from Bohol, Philippines which gets sent to Manila to be packed in a container. The entire container is filled with just salt because it cannot be mixed with anything else.  

There's a trade agreement between the Philippines and the United States. A lot of the products we bring into the country have either very minimal tax, U.S. custom tax, or zero tax since the Philippines and U.S. are trading partners. 

Due to the costs I incur bringing the salt into the U.S., I have to charge more than what it would cost to buy the salt in the Philippines. The expense of bringing it here is what hikes up the selling price. I am a business and I have to cover all of my expenses. If I receive requests from the Philippines, I direct them to the family. 

The Filipino government is starting to notice us exporting. Now, there’s more interest in exporting products. In meetings that I've had with government agencies, I tell them that while I do export, my real goal is to create jobs and put money in the farmers’ pockets. My economic belief ensures local fair-trade wages are upheld.

8. How has your business evolved over the years? 

Lennie DiCarlo: Our vision has changed because now it includes the education of non-Filipinos and Filipinos who don't know about the really great products that the Philippines has to offer. I am mindful about how we can work with these small communities and support them from a global perspective. I've really taken a liking to focusing on the artisans that I work with, letting people know we have these really great communities in the Philippines that are creating beautiful works. In terms of the salt, we are not only providing a very high quality product, but also care about the environment and communities from which they come from.

During the pandemic, I started filming a documentary about the salts in the Philippines. It’s still in post-production and I am working with editors to comb through the footage. I interviewed the congressman who wrote the revision to the ASIN Law bill. I interviewed the mayor of Alaminos, as well as the salt farmers and the people who work in the salt fields. I spoke to chefs in the Philippines who have the same mindset about these products and communities. I wanted to get an overall perspective telling the story of the lives that the salt touches. Can you imagine a little grain of salt creating a cultural bridge from the U.S. to the Philippines? 

My intention of creating this film is to demonstrate that a grain of salt can show the many faces of culture that we have in the Philippines, and how it has touched the lives of those in the Philippines – a grain of salt from the farmers to the workers to government agencies to the chefs around the world. Now, consumers around the world are learning more about our culture. Our vision has changed as we have been able to help revitalize an entire industry! 

I've been able to reach all these different facets of the industry here in the U.S. – from wholesale to retail and abroad. I've been able to tell through the storytelling. As I said, we can't sell this salt and compete with the large salt companies because we're just a tiny little guy - the little train that could…we just keep chugging along and focus on the idea of educating people about our really great products that we have from the Philippines.

9. What has been the biggest obstacle that you've had to face?

Lennie DiCarlo: In the beginning, one of the biggest obstacles was trying to figure out how to tell our story and which markets to pursue. Reaching the Filipino elders was the toughest obstacle! How do I sell and try to convince our inner community to support the Philippine salt business? 

It was mostly the elderly Filipinos who would look at me and make faces. Finally, I realized that I no longer had to convince others that this is a really great product. I just had to really believe in it and find those that have the same mindset. That's when I changed my focus: You just have to try it. If you like it, buy it. If you don't, thank you. Next! 

When I clearly made that distinction in my head, I no longer beat myself up about it. Ironically, more people wanted to hear about it. The word was getting around, and eventually more people started to buy and even come back for more. The older generation is starting to buy the product because they’ve been introduced by their children or grandkids who have purchased the salt or dinosaur egg for them. 

10. What is one of the biggest lessons that you've learned?

Lennie DiCarlo: The biggest lesson was learning how to pivot as a small business. When we started, we had (and even today) a very limited budget. Making the decision to evolve as the business environment evolves, has kept us afloat. Also being mindful when we needed to be tight. Right now, we are bringing young people in. I truly need them to help me to continue growing. 

I tell my staff, we have to evolve or die because if we don't, none of us will have jobs. So, our only option is to evolve with the times. I had to learn to give up trying to do everything myself. In order for my team to grow and learn, I have to give them my best customers and accounts. That way, I can also focus on strategy and growing the business. I also have more time to build relationships and educate others about xroads. In the past, I would be too busy because I was wearing too many hats. Today, I have a great team that I can depend on. 

11. What does it mean to be Filipino American?

Lennie DiCarlo: I came to the United States when I was just three years old.  My siblings and I were able to assimilate, which is what my parents really wanted for us. But through that process, we lost touch with our Filipino identity. But we can’t fault them for that. Our opportunities are far greater than our families in the Philippines. I get that now (Oh boy, my Dad is going to read this). It’s also not exciting to see poverty, but it’s allowed me to grow as a Filipino and to see that perspective of why our country is where it is.

I'm very proud to be a Filipino American. I have rediscovered my roots. I have found myself in my own country, the Philippines, and I found my people. I know where I came from. In the last 20 years, I have been learning more about my own culture. Today, I continue to learn about my own country because there's a lot that I still don't know. But I'm like a sponge, constantly striving to learn more and invite new experiences

12. What's next for you and xroads Philippine Sea Salts?

Lennie DiCarlo: It's an evolving company. For the last 10 years or so, I have been focused on bringing in more really high quality raw ingredients that the Philippines has to offer. A new division that I've had in my head that is slowly coming to fruition, hopefully within the next year or two. And as I do everything, I spend a long time doing the research to make sure I understand it or at least understand enough of it to know that I can get into this without totally failing. Knowing this new direction is really exciting, but again, it's allowed me to step away from the day-to-day and try to grow the business.

That's the part that I'm doing now. With the help of my staff that are on this ride with me, I've been able to start venturing into that direction. It's still slow and I'm definitely taking it with caution because I still want this side of the business, which I've built up these last 20 years with xroads Philippine Sea Salts to continue to grow and prosper.. 

13. Why is it important to support a small, Filipino owned business? 

Lennie DiCarlo: I would love it if the Filipino community, whether it be my product or somebody else’s, be supported because they see the value in a really great product. What that does is support the communities that we buy from as our suppliers, and in turn, it uplifts these communities because these people who are toiling the land and weaving the baskets. They are able to do this and hopefully receive a fair price with the people that buy it from them, like myself as a business.

I do it consciously because that's what I want to do and that’s the type of person that I am. By supporting us as a business, you're supporting them as well. That's why I focus on my suppliers who I consider my artisan partners. I focus on them so that it shows that whether it be retail or wholesale, the consumer is supporting a local community from afar. You can support a small local community all the way from here, on the other side of the world. 

That could be the next evolution when I can't do much anymore. Keeping an open mind and taking everything in at that moment and learning along the way has led me to where I'm at today. I've been able to grow as a person, expand my business, as well as develop an understanding of the people that I work with, not only here with my staff, but with my artisan partners in the Philippines. 

14. Where can people find you and purchase your products?

Lennie DiCarlo: For the consumer, head to our website at PhilippineSeaSalts.com. For those interested in the wholesale side, reach out to us directly. You can also follow us on both Facebook and Instagram at @XROADSSALTS. We are grateful for this opportunity to share the story of our business and the stories of our artisan partners. 

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Written by Jennifer Redondo

Co-Founder and Co-Author of In Her Purpose

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