Malunggay Pan de Sal

There's a new "craze" in town of Santa Barbara and it's all about this 2-peso malunggay pan de sal. You should see how long the queue goes and during peak hours it takes 30 minutes or even more to satisfy your pan de sal cravings.

Actually, it's nothing new to see and hear malunggay (moringa oleifera) infused breads, drinks and other foodstuff. It's been years when this health craze boomed and what we are experiencing now are just the "remnants" of those year.

When it's open there's always a crowd at this hole-in-the-wall, but they are not the ones in the queue. Need I say more what's lining up? Even though there is more than enough bread on display, they are just parbaked pan de sal. That's the correct term for half-cooked or baked breads.

With just a single person operating the store, he seems more than capable. Four trays having around 40 breads can fit in the oven and is baked for around 7-10 minutes. When they're done, goes another 4 set of trays. He then gets the money in line and ask for your order. Just keep track of your money - that's why I had my hundred peso folded like a "money-paper plane".

And if you line up this long (I waited around 30 minutes) since most order are more than 20, you just have to make the most out of it, so "I go for broke" or in this case, I went to be come a glutton.

And it tastes heavenly! It's crisp in the outside and soft inside. Though it's a bit sweet for a salt bread ( pan de sal), you wouldn't complain once you had a bite and then multiple bites thereafter. Even after it cools down, you still taste the same sweet tasting bread though a bit more compact. I've been told that this sweeter taste was made to mask the malunggay aftertaste of most breads made from moringa.

And it's perfect at that. You won't believe it's one malunggay bread even if you've eaten a dozen or so.

A hole in the wall at the corner of Castilla and Arroyo streets in Santa Barbara, Iloilo (just look for a large pink building and a crowd of people), Jessa's Hot Pan de Sal, has the perfect recipe for a small business that can go bigtime. One very popular product at a very affordable price (it's just 2 pesos) and everyone's flocking to buy - it's really selling like "hot cakes". Or in this case, selling like hot malunggay pan de sal!

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