FLAVOURS OF ILOILO

I had my first bite of this mango biscocho when I bought a pack at the Trappist Monastery in Guimaras. It was an impulse buy that time since I wanted to have a souvenir of my visit and this mango biscocho was one of their better packaged products. When I got back home, that was the onyl time I got to taste it and I got so addicted. It's just ordinary biscocho with some mango essence added but it seemed very delicious. Maybe the monks added some prayers in making these biscocho-lol. But whatever it is, a pack of these biscocho is a good buy much more a pasalubong. Good thing these are available in most grocery stores and pasalubong shops in Iloilo City.

Any activity in and around Guimaras whether just for a day tour or an overnight would surely include a visit to the Trappist Monastery - the only one of it's order in the Philippines. And when monks have time to spare they make goodies and souvenir items that tourists can bring home as pasalubong or memento of their visit not only in this "hallowed" grounds but also in Guimaras as well. Most notable are these fruit preserves ranging from mango and guava to calamansi. They also have instant "salabat" powder for those keen in keeping their voice within range. Plus they also have t-shirts, keychains, religious items and almost anything worthy as souvenir. Ofcourse, Guimaras is known for having the sweetest mango in the world - so as they claim. You can try them for yourself as they have fresh mangoes all year round - price depending on the season. And this pasalubong shop has mangoes infused in almost all food items they have. From fruit preserves to popular baked...

"WELCOME TO Iloilo. Forget your diet." This was the cheery welcome from no less than Mayor Jerry Treñas, when select press were invited by the Iloilo Economic Development (ILED) Foundation to a weekend tour of the city and neighboring island-province Guimaras. As it turned out, he wasn’t just joking. Wherever we went, the genteel Ilonggos lavished us with the chief beauty—and for the weight-watchers among us, the major bane—of their province: The food. Here are the treats you shouldn’t miss out on for a genuine, manamit Iloilo experience. Photos and article courtesy of Flavors of Iloilo - and where to find them By Jaymee T. Gamil The Philippine Daily Inquirer Sweet surrender With the province renowned as the land of sugar barons, Ilonggo delicacies are as much a legacy as the heritage architecture along the city’s Calle Real. There’s the traditional baked sweets from the Spanish era: Barquillos, cylindrical wafers; biscocho, sugared toasted bread; banadas, sugar cookies gla...

FOOD is simply one of the highlights of any trip to Iloilo; from its iconic cuisine and a wide variety of delicacies to its landmark restaurants and (of course) pasalubong. La Paz batchoy, baye-baye, Tatoy’s Manukan & Seafoods and butterscotch are just a few of the reasons why tourists love the Iloilo gastronomical scene. This week, I played host and guide to a former officemate and his wife who made an Iloilo side trip from their Boracay honeymoon. The places we went and activities we had were almost centered on food that I called it an EATinerary (lol) After settling at the hotel, we had late lunch around 4pm. The great ambiance and view plus good cuisine and delicacies made Breakthrough Restaurant my first choice where to bring them. Grilled scallops, sizzling crabmeat, grilled and sinabawang managat, adobong pato, kilawin na hipon and fresh lumpia made up our lunch table. We then left for “Smallville” for a taste of Iloilo nightlife and after a quick survey, we settled at Bourb...