Inside Panaderia ni Pa-a

Last year, I found myself inside one of the gastronomic landmarks of Iloilo and among the oldest bakeries in the Philippines. Established in 1896, Panaderia ni Pa-a (formerly Jaro Bakery) is very popular then and now with a singular item - pan de sal. 



With it's signature French bread quality - crisp outside and soft inside, it has influenced the gastronomy of the Ilonggos especially those residing in Jaro.

PPanaderia ni Pa-a was named in honor of Jose Uy's father, Uy Paa who was a native of the Southern China province of Fujian. Founded by Jose Uy's great grandfather, Chiquito Uy, the bakery has withstood the test and taste of time and lived up to more than a century of baking and maintaining the quality and taste of it products especially the famed pan de sal.

Renovated a few years back, it is now house in a modern facade that hides the fact of its more than a century of existence except for the signboard that says "Established in 1896".



 Not until I was inside the production area where hot pan de sal was getting on and off the pugon every minute that I actually see the historic century of this bakery.

It was through Mr Eugene Jamerlan that I got to have this chance to visit the bakery and see it inside out. The production area was teeming with activity from dough mixing to making various breads.

As it was approaching 2pm, it became busier as it is around this time when pan de sal ni pa-a is hot off the oven. And it was raining pan de sal everywhere we looked around. Baked pan de sal cools off together with those waiting to go inside the pugon. Then it goes to numerous containers that is then brought to the bakery or being peddled all around Iloilo City.

The more than a century old pugon is the centerpiece of this vast bread kingdom and it bakes more than pan de sal and other breads. Panaderia ni Pa-a also accepts meats to be cooked inside the pugon, of course only those that can fit inside the opening. So, pig's head or maybe piglets to be made into "lechon de leche", liempo, bangus and many others. That's why they say, the popular pan de sal have hints of baked meat sometimes.

We were also in time for some newly baked hopiang baboy being cooled down.

But it was the pan de sal that made it to our paperbag in the end. And what makes this pan de sal stand out is that it is baked fresh twice a day and using firewood to create the right temperature for baking. 



No preservatives are used thus having a lifespan of about 2-3 days. Also I heard that in order to have such texture, the dough is first placed in freezers then baked to achieve such crisp yet soft make.

Another gastronomic afternoon has gone by that time but it was with bits of heritage and history as this bakery that stands in the corner of Lopez Jaena and Washington Streets in Jaro has seen more than a century gone by. And with this pan de sal, Panaderia ni Pa-a will continue to count more years as Ilonggos bite with gusto and munch a piece of gastronomic history.