FLAVOURS OF ILOILO

I often take pinasugbo for granted. Aside that I almost always ended up in a mess, I find it really sweet and often takes a toll on my teeth. But there are certain situations that I don’t wish for; it just comes at the right time.  A pack of pinasugbo from Deocampo suddenly appeared at home (who, when, where, etc still a mystery) and it just screamed to be eaten. So loud that in order to shut it up, I have to shove it in my mouth – lol. Pinasugbo is made from slices of banana (saba variety) slice length-wise, deep fried and smothered with caramel. Then a number of these slices are packed in paper cones for easy consumption.  But as the caramel hardens, it sticks to the cones and most often one might find himself eating a bit of paper. But luckily a trick I got from one of blog’s comments solved this problem – just heat it for a few seconds in the microwave and it slides off easily. That made me enjoy these pinasugbo from Deocampo that tim...

It was yet another rediscovery the moment I stepped inside Deocampo Barquillos’ newly renovated pasalubong shop in Jaro weeks ago. The place was very touristy and was both eye catching and stomach grumbling. Everywhere one may lay his eyes upon its all goodies – barquillos, biscocho, galletas, pasencia, butterscotch, pinasugbo and a whole lot more. But the one item that really stood out was their sio pao . I’ve tried this before and dismissed it as just “one of those sio paos….” It was the fact that it had potato as extenders and a bit dry. My impression remained that way since then since most of the time it was just a take out and stood hours inside the fridge. But fate brought me one day to try their sio pao “fresh from the steamer” and the memories I had before were instantly erased. I had a warm sio pao with a “bun” texture I prefer – sort of “gummy” on the outside yet soft inside. More surprises came when I cut it in half and revealed a very filled sio pao. Pure pork meat - ...

While some parts of the country were uprising towards the end of the 19th century, another revolution was forming in Jaro, Iloilo. It was a revolution started by fl our, eggs, sugar and other ingredients, barquillos that gave birth to our now popular delicacy - BARQUILL OS! Now who isn’t familiar with barquillos? These crisp wafer rolls are found in almost all pasalubong shops and are often partnered with ice cream. It offers a delicious crunch and willingly melts in the mouth once you start chewing. To kids and kids at heart, taking a bite then blowing out the crumbs on other end, makes and brings back a lot of memories! The name Deocampo is synonymous with these wafer rolls for their barquillos-making history is famous since 1898. “Actually it should have been 1896” opens up Alicia Deocampo during the interview. She shares how they’ve overlooked this packaging error when her fam ily delved into the pasalubong business decades ago. She was no more than 12 years when grandparents Jose ...

“The siopao, a Filipino fast food favorite, may be counted among “Filipinized” Chinese dishes, like pancit” points out food writer Margaux Salcedo. But her quick search on the Internet shows that nowhere else in the world are these buns also called siopao. “ The Chinese (apparently) calls them baozi, the Thais – salapao, Hawaiians refer to them as char siu bao; the Vietnamese identifies them as banh bao” she writes in her column on the Philippine Daily Inquirer ” But they all mean the same thing - a filled bun.” “The difference seems to be in the filling. The Hawaiians’ char siu bao offers barbecued pork inside, similar to our asado siopao, while the Vietnamese version offers ground pork, like our bola-bola siopao” reveals her further search. “The “Filipinization” is obvious with the asado filling, pork asado being a viand of Spanish influence derived from the Spanish word “asado” meaning “roasted,” although pork asado is a favorite at Filipino-Chinese restaurants” she finishes. Il...

Nope, I won't make a post about the instant sweet chili pancit canton I had for breakfast nor how I am craving for another one now. I just finished my feature article (out this Thursday) and it's almost all about barquillos - how it began in Jaro, how the Deocampo family innovated the delicacy and made it among Iloilo's signature pasalubong item. My blog entry title is just an expression of fortunate I am to have actually seen how it is made and to have tasted a freshly made barquillos which is uncommon to most. Unlike the cliche "best eaten when hot", barquillos right of the wafer grill lacks the crispness of the one that has been already exposed to air. But that's not the point, it's the experience and the Deocampo story - it's more than barquillos, is among the most touching I have ever heard. I hope I can do justice sharing it by Thursday.

A landmark in the heritage district of Jaro is the iconic Deocampo Barquillos . Makers of fine products since 1898 with barquillos at the forefront, it has maintained quality and the tradition of Ilonggo since then. Around five months ago, the lure of a popular sio pao brought me to Deocampo Barquillos and it surprised me to see their new pasalubong shop slowly taking shape inside out. But it wasn’t all that finished and given the popularity of the meat filled bun, there wasn’t any left when I got there. With few more attempts in vain, I almost gave up but just like hitting two birds with one stone, my visit a few days ago, proved to be both a nostalgic and gastronomic experience. From the outside, the façade of the new pasalubong shop commands attention to every passersby whether on foot or taking any mode of transport. But the interiors make the patrons feel at home for it makes them feel to be inside the living room of a modern yet in some ways traditional villa. The most notable ...

Proven and “tasted”, butterscotch is the top pasalubong item from Iloilo. Ironically not a home grown item like piaya or barquillos. But who cares really, for I was and still it's top "promoter"; from bringing it as pasalubong back to Manila before to now blogging and writing about it online. So here’s a rundown of the brands I featured (and “gobbled” up) before. The most famous and best selling butterscotch of Iloilo. Methinks they started this butterscotch craze that other followed (though I have no proof.) It has become the standard of whether a butterscotch is good or not for most of my pasalubong recipients. (Php45/10 pieces) The best packaged butterscotch. Many already have switched to this brand as they claim its much better. Very nutty and buttery, it stood out and carved a niche of its own by coming up with a mango and pineapple variant first. (PhP49.50/10pieces) Surprisingly almost tastes and looks like that of Biscocho Haus. If pieces were mixed up,...