FLAVOURS OF ILOILO

Life was bittersweet but her penchant for baking made her enjoy the sweetness of it more often. Out of a hobby, coupled with enthusiasm and perseverance, Grace Javelosa made a big switch - from being an employee to managing Iloilo’s Pride, RGies Delicacies. In a small rented abode tucked away in a maze of streets in Alta Tierra Village in Jaro, she and her husband Ramon raised the family. “As a wife, a mother of three and career oriented (both working as an insurance agents), juggling my time between them took dedication and hard work but I see to it that I still hone my skills in the kitchen” she reminisced. Cooking is in her blood. “But I never thought of it as a business for I know the hard work it entails”. Throughout the years of perfecting her craft, she finally found that “one little spark” that started it all. “It was one of those family gatherings that I first tasted butterscotch and instantly loved it” she says. “One of my sisters-in-law made it for the occasion and since th...

P asalubong from Iloilo City nowadays isn't just limited to those "old world" biscuits and baked goodies the city is famous for. Biscocho, barquillos, galletas, barquiron, piay a and a whole lot more used to be a staple in pasalubong boxes coming from Iloilo. Now a relatively modern baked goodie has overtaken the title as the most sought after pasalubong from Iloilo. And it's not an entirely native product nor had it “roots” from Iloilo. It’s actually an imported product given a distinct, local feel and is now among the best selling Iloilo pasalubong items. Butterscotch - a type of confectionery made by boiling sugar, butter, cream, and vanilla. In many ways the ingredients for butterscotch are similar to toffee; the major difference is that the sugar is boiled to the soft crack stage for butterscotch and the hard crack stage for toffee , ( from Wikipedia) is now synonymous with Iloilo pasalubong. Boxes of goodies from Iloilo surely would contain packs of these m...

Gone are the days when butterscotch are wrapped in multicolored cellophane. Now Biscocho Haus has a whole new packaging for its popular butterscotch. Still retaining the popular multicolored cellophane look, the new packaging seals in freshness of their moist and chewy pasalubong item. But it's long overdue for the pasalubong shop to have considered this very important part of their business. It doesn't only gives it more visual appeal but also prolongs the shelf life of their products. The main pack still is the same that I haven't really noticed it when this individually sealed packs came out. But I hope they could have done better regarding their stature as the most popular pasalubong shop. Yet this packaging is still way behind Rgies Delicacies which looks appetizing inside out. Here's hoping that pasalubong shops will greatly improve their packaging give pasalubong from Iloilo not only a distinct taste but also a whole new look - with pride!

Rgies Delicacies was first to introduce this "gourmet" butterscotch and they do it best! Really moist, chewy and you can actually see and taste the mango bits. For now this got to be one of the best butterscotches in the city. A (really) good buy for pasalubong to bring to impress your recipients or just to indulge in yourself. For PhP53 per pack 10, its very much worth the money spent and in fact you might consider buying more than one pack rather than regretting it.

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,...

What's a trip without pasalubong? It's almost like a vacation without taking photos. I got these Biscocho Haus paperbags for PhP25 pesos (smaller bags costs PhP20) to make my pasalubong even more authentic Ilonggo. Packaging is important for me so I have to package my pasalubong to make it good inside out. So what were inside these pasalubong bags? All-time favorites like butterscoth (PJ's Delicacies), yemas (Biscocho Haus) and buttered toasts (Angelina Bakeshop) to personal requests like thick piaya ( Wewin's) and banadas (Biscocho Haus). Even got boneless dilis and papered squid (squid flakes) from the grocery as bonus. So what's inside your pasalubong bag?