Iloilo Butterscotch Guide

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, it would be very difficult to tell them apart, visually and how they taste. Another curiousity turned into discovery as it is now one of my favorite brands. (PhP 50 / 10 pieces)

The most inexpensive among these brands and was surprisingly good enough but not at par with the others. And I never knew they existed since they are not usually available in the groceries beside the famous Deocampo barquillos. (PhP 55/ 15 pieces)

These butterscotch bars were such a dismay for it tasted like a hardened butterscotch flavoured mamon. It doesn’t have that full bodied taste you’d find in other butterscotch. They come in individually sealed wraps but actually look a trying hard copycat of Rgies. (PhP48 / 10 pieces)

They are very ordinary. One of those brands riding on the popularity of this treat. It tastes like that of Tibiao but much better. There is really nothing much to say about these butterscotch. (PhP 45/ 10 pieces)

As the label says, it is made with muscovado sugar and you'll really taste the difference. Moist and chewy but I really am not a fan of muscovado sugar so its just another ordinary tasting treat for me. (PhP 45/ 10 pieces)

As if ready to be given away, these butterscotch come in give away pouch. From the looks of it I concluded that it would taste like that of Tibiao. But i was wrong, it was worse! Aside from being a teenie weenie butterscotch, it tasted like butterscotch cake that went wrong! (PhP 41.50/ 8 pieces)

It was part of my not so good butterscotch list before and I had a hardtime convincing myself into buying one again. But surprisingly, it turned out better than expected. It stands out among the rest by being very big and very nutty. You can actually feel and taste the nuts on your first bite. (PhP 52.50/ 10 pieces)

Tinapayan Bakeshop is my favorite bakeshop in the city. If not for this butterscotch quest, I wouldn't have tried their butterscotch. Just like the others I've tried, they lack the "body" (soft, moist and chewy). (PhP48 / 10 pieces)

Almost an unknown brand but they have a very photogenic butterscotch. Just like Delifranz it has this overwhelming nutty flavour but more moist and chewy. (PhP48/11 pieces)

First to introduce butterscotch in mango (and other) variants, you cannot go wrong with Rgies! A great buy butterscotch; moist and chewy mango bits in a neat packaging. What more can you ask for? Another pack maybe. (PhP 53/10pieces)

When I first tasted this butterscotch, I thought it was prematurely taken out of the oven. You could actually see the "unbaked" layer to which compare to the middle layer of very thick bibingka which is hard to cook. (PhP 51.75/10pieces)

Mama's Kitchen and Sinamay House in Arevalo

A stones throw away from the plaza of La Villa de Arevalo is an ancestral house where one can find not only good pasalubong items but also a look into the past of the district. Known as the Sinamay House , this well preserved ancestral house is an attraction not only in the outside but also what it houses inside. A collection of what the past like is housed in the two storey edifice which also acts like a museum of sorts. Sinamay is simply known as abaca by most and, here, a variety of products made from this fiber can be found. I remember watching a feature on tv wherein the owner proudly showed a framed letter signed by the late Princess of Wales, Diana, showing her appreciation of the handkerchief she was given as a gift coming from this very shop. But the attraction I am most familiar with are the chewies and crunchies made by Mama's Kitchen. Attractively packed in boxes showing their current flavours and variety, this is among the better...

An Ilonggo favorite - Valenciana

Found in almost all occasions like fiesta, birthdays, reunions and others, Ilonggos really love valenciana because most if not all have grown accustomed of having it in special gatherings at home. A complete " go, grow and glow " dish because it has the carbohydrates, protein and vitamins and minerals in just one spoonful, Valenciana is really an " occasional dish ". Here's the recipe for Valenciana

Ultimate Ilonggo Favorite: KBL Kadyos, Baboy, Langka

K.B.L. or Kadyos, Baboy, Langka is the ultimate favorite dish of most Ilonggos. It is also one of the most missed native dishes as kadyos and the souring ingredient, batwan , are hard to find when outside of the Ilonggo region. Basically, it is boiled/stewed pork dish owing its "deliciousness" to the combination of the soft and tender pork, the tamed sourness of batwan and the malinamnam na sabaw . One of the "secrets" of the malinamnamn na sabaw , is the fact that the pork, whether just the plain meat or pata (hocks) are first grilled or broiled. This gives the broth a rather smoky taste that makes it more appetizing.. Learn how to make the Ilonggo dish KBL (Kadyos, Baboy, at Langka) with the recipe below. Ingredients 1 kilo Pata (pork hocks) or pork cubes, GRILLED and sliced into bite size pieces 1 unripe Jack fruit, cubed 2 cups pigeon pea (kadyos) 6-8 pieces batwan fruit (or tamarind powder) 1 piece por...

Easy Century Tuna Recipes

If you're looking for simple, easy and delicious Century Tuna recipes online, congratulations, you've found it right here! How about spicy tuna sisig or tuna sinigang ? Maybe stir fried tuna with pickles or just yang chow fried rice . I love Century Tuna from its flakes in oil variety, the spicier the better, but when I discovered the versatility of its solid variant, it became an obsession. At first I was just into the usual tested recipes; pasta and sandwich filling, but then it got simpler – I just eat it straight from the can! Usually with a piece of bread or an apple. I just add a few drops of vinegar to spice it up a bit. Then came the experiments. Yup I got tired of that habit that one day, I decided to test my skills in the kitchen. Serendipity, you might call it yet most of them turned into good recipes that I have shared now and then. Satisfying my Palabok cravings had me experiment on this recipe on the spot. With Century Tuna in lieu of the us...

Takway

The gabi (taro) is just one of those plants which is edible from "roots to tops". The most popular of which is the tuber part which is used in a variety of dishes and mostly in combination with coconut milk. Its leaves, of course, is the main ingredient of a Bicol specialty, laing . It is dried then chopped and sauteed with other ingredients including, again, coconut milk. Then there is takway . The local term for its tendrils/runner, that part which is torn between being a stem or a root for it neither grows upwards nor downwards - it grows sideways . Scraped off of its outer skin, takway is often a key ingredient in vegetable dishes like laswa and the gabi tuber with coconut milk and local snails know as bago-ngon . It is also popular when cooked adobo style with guinamos , the local bago-ong . It is very popular in the region that even big supermarkets sell takway in style - cleaned and plastic wrapped in styro with some additions to make it easier to prepare. ...

FLAVOURS OF ILOILO

Search This Blog