Cupped in banana leaves that gives not only a distinct flavour but also an identity, Puto Manapla is common here in Iloilo as to the place where it originated, Manapla town in Negros Occidental. While there's the original and ube variants, this is actually the first time I tried the cheese version. With yellow food coloring but real grated cheese toppings, the "Manapla" essence is still there made even better by the cheese. And I want some more!
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...