Pinoy Love

The Philippines is a diverse country, rich in culture and history. Every region is unique on its own; topography, dialect, architecture and of course, local DELICACY.

Food. I think it’s safe to say that Pinoys love to eat. Which province are you from and what dish is the first thing that comes to people’s mind whenever they hear the place? It doesn’t have to be an ulam, right? Pinoys love sweets and we have all sorts of it. We have sweets for dessert, MERIENDA, or just plain munching on something while working or watching TV.

Our love for food is undeniable, and the way we’ve adapted and developed our dishes from foreign influence is just mind blowing.

I mean, Pinoys have always been all about flavor and spices since the beginning of history, yet we never really stopped evolving and adapting, or creating new dishes! When it comes to food, I think foreign influence wasn’t all that bad.

We were mostly influenced by the Spanish because of how long they settled in the Philippines. Three hundred years is more than enough time to influence us about a thing or two, is it not? Another great influence when it comes to food were the Chinese, since we had close ties with them in terms of the Barter Trade. We were literally trading flavors with them! No wonder some of the oldest restaurants in Manila are Chinese restaurants.

Pinoys love to travel as well and I, personally am trying to get to as much tourist spots in the Philippines before I travel overseas. Literally dozens, if not hundreds of world class tourist spots within our country, making it impossible to visit them all within the next five years.

Beaches, museums, natural land formations and of course, architecture. Again, inspired mostly by the Spanish. Have you seen churches that are hundreds of years old? It will really take you back in time.

Aside from the love of traveling, we Filipinos are known for being generous, and once we go on that trip, it’s a must for us to bring home souvenirs for those who weren’t able to come with us on our trip.

“Pasalubong.” How Filipino is this term, huh? I don’t have any idea if we can directly translate that to any other language. It’s just a Pinoy thing, isn’t it?

I mean at every souvenir or pasalubong stop, there are a lot of items we would buy, from shirts, figurines, purses, accessories and the list goes on. The thing is, half of what we buy is not actually for us, but for those we left behind. Admit it, you know what I’m talking about.

While we browse some of the items, we think about what to buy and whom to buy them for. Sometimes there’s even a list of requested pasalubong!

What would you bring home for your loved ones? Something simple, maybe a fridge magnet? A keychain, perhaps? Well, I’d love those little things as I believe it’s the thought that counts, but if you asked me what I wanted for a pasalubong? Honestly? I’d answer FOOD in a snap! Real quick!

You see, I prefer food a lot more because it’s just practical. Plus, I love food! I’m a Pinoy! Besides, souvenirs will become dust collectors sooner or later. Unless you collect magnets or stuff like that.

With food? You eat it, then discard or recycle the container, end of story.

More Than A Pasalubong

Of course, there are times when we crave for food which are local to different regions, and we would have to wait for us or someone else to visit that specific place just to satisfy our cravings. Baguio, Ilocos, Cebu.. traveling to these places for a flight or a twelve-hour drive just to get your goodies is just well isn’t worth it. I mean, yeah, you would most likely enjoy the place, but who always has the time and money to go on a trip just for a craving? Not me!

So what are our options? Delivery? Probably not. Pray and hope that someone might head out to these places real soon? You wish, with the on-going community quarantine. Making them? Yes, yes and yes.

Don’t you get a feeling of satisfaction whenever you make something you’ve really wanted? Seeing something that makes you drool on a Facebook post and making it instead of ordering or having to go out to buy one? Having simple knowledge in cooking and baking may surprise you with its advantages in times of need and sudden craving.

An Opportunity

Were you reading this because you wanted to know how to make these goodies or maybe you were looking for ideas on what to sell? Well say no more! We got you! This is an opportunity to LEARN and EARN!

What if I tell you this course will teach you how to make some of our favorite pasalubong right at the comfort of your homes? Maybe to binge eat or satisfy your cravings? Or better yet, sell these scrumptious munchies in your neighborhood or online and make everyone else happy!

You know what’s better than being able to MAKE what you want? Being able to sell them as well! A little bit of extra income wouldn’t hurt, will it? You’d get the OPPORTUNITY to make what you’re craving for and EARN at the same time.  It’s a win-win!

During the Covid-19 Pandemic, I bet you were able to observe that one of the fool-proof ways of earning is online-selling. Everyone selling their own product, especially food, because uhm, everyone needs to earn and everyone needs to eat! No brainer there. Now because of the quarantine, nobody is allowed to travel and grab their favorite pasalubong anywhere.. Sad. You see I can’t just go to Ilocos for an Empanada, can I? That will be against quarantine measures. Now, if I or my neighbor can make whatever it is I am craving for, we’d both be happy, right? I earn, he’s full.. or vice-versa!

So if you’re willing to take the opportunity, or not, I’ll elaborate and explain the products you’ll be able to make and sell with this tutorial bundle anyway.

Let’s Go On A Trip

Pinoy pasalubong or long shelf-life bread are pastries that require longer expiration as these are meant to withstand long travel hours (or days) or just longer storing time if you bought a lot of them, ‘cause you know, they’re not that easy to get and they might come from a distant place since it’s a pasalubong.

The magic here is by making everything naturally and without preservatives, yet, being able to store it for a long period of time, with proper containers, of course, as they can still lose their quality.

Here is the list of pasalubong you will learn in this bundle:

OTAP – or sometimes “utap” is a type of cookie which originated and is definitely famous in Cebu. It is an oval-shaped puff pastry with a hint of sweetness from the sugar sprinkled on top. Though it may be brittle, it breaks easily and is quite delicate.

Otap is usually around 4 to 6 inches long and 2 to 3 inches wide. Cebu is the most popular place to get otap as this is where it originated, but they make it in other Visayan provinces like Negros Oriental and Negros Occidental nowadays.

For more details and enrollment on this Otap class, click here.

PUTO SEKO – also known and referred to as Puto Masa, though the latter has a little difference with ingredients, is more famous in Southern Luzon, around Batangas and Laguna area. Derived from “puto” or Filipino “steamed rice cake” and the Spanish word “seco” which means “dry”, simply because it has a dry powdery texture.

Puto Seko is usually round-shaped, around 1.5 to 2 inches in diameter and about half an inch thick, though I’ve seen Puto Seko in different shapes and sizes. I’d say milky sweet, very dry and powdery, finer than that of a polvoron.

A lot of variations have come up in the present by adding different colors and flavors, but this course offers the traditional white Puto Seko.

Oh yeah, you may want to prepare a glass of water by your side while devouring these bad boys.

For more details and enrollment on this Puto Seko class, click here.

LENGUA DE GATO – when translated from Spanish means “cat’s tongue” because of its shape. You were thinking milk because of “gato”, weren’t you? Well you’re not entirely wrong as it does have milk as an ingredient. These are very thin and crispy versions of butter cookies with a very milky flavor.

This one you can find in almost any pasalubong stop. Though presented as a cookie, Lengua de Gato is actually a toasted variant of a mamon.

For more details and enrollment in this Lengua de Gato class, click here.

BISCOCHO – Aahhh, yes. A personal favorite. The sweetness perfectly balances with the bitterness in a hot cup of coffee. There are a lot of varieties of Biscocho, there’s Biscocho de Manila, Biscocho de Rosca, Biscocho de Sebo and and a number more versions around the Philippines.

In this particular video though, we are going to make Biscocho Iloilo otherwise known as Biscocho de Caña. The sweet, twice-baked variant which is one of Iloilo’s pride.

Biscocho was derived from the Spanish bizcocho, but this is entirely different from the Filipino version. The Spanish bizcocho is softer and is more like what we call a Broas or Lady Fingers.

Biscocho Iloilo may be twice-baked or made to save a bread that went stale. You know, as Filipinos, we don’t like food going to waste.

For more details and enrollment in this Biscocho class, click here.

ROSQUILLOS – Another one that originated in Cebu but has a more precise history. Said to be created by Margarita “Titay” Frasco from Liloan, in 1907. Rosquillos, not to be mixed-up with Spanish Rosquillos or Rosquillas, is a cookie made from the usual suspects of eggs, shortening, sugar, baking powder and of course, flour. Spanish Rosquillos on the other hand resembles more of a baked donut.

The name Rosquillos, from the Spanish word “Rosca”, meaning ringlet, was said to be coined by the late President Sergio Osmeña.

Rosquillos are circular in shape and has petal-like edges. It has a hole in the middle like donuts, hence the “ringlet” term, and is thin like a biscuit. Some bakers change the shape of the hole in the middle, to add design to the biscuit.

For more details and enrollment in this Rosquillos class, click here.

BROAS – or ladyfingers, like Lengua de Gato is another variant of mamon, because of its low density. Another personal favorite of mine as it pairs perfectly with coffee or hot chocolate.  Yes, I love coffee.

It is a spongy, soft cookie with a touch of crunch. This is why toddlers are able to eat this with ease.

Our Muslim brothers created a local variant, either crunchy or soft, and they call it broa, b’rua, bulwa or baulo, but they are basically the same.

Broas, another term derived from the Spanish word, “Broa”, is a type of corn and rye bread, from Portugal and Galicia.

Though the term may be Spanish, the ladyfingers which originated in Italy, hence our derived term, has a more accurate look and texture when compared to ours than the Spanish Broa.

Ladyfinger or “Savoiardi”, its Italian name, was created in the 15^th Century in the court of Dutchy of Savoy for the visit of the King of France. It was later given the name Savoiardi, became the official court biscuit and part of the local cuisine. This cookie is quite known in Europe.

Of all those in this list, ladyfingers may be the most commonly made in other countries especially in Europe as it has the most translations for each country, they may have minor differences or different variants but they all have the same principle.

For more details and enrollment in this Broas class, click here.

There you go!

So, which one’s your favorite from the list?

Are You Excited?

You should be! Those are just some of the Pinoy pasalubongs we have in-stored for you. If you guys really liked this tutorial, maybe we would make a part two with more Pinoy pasalubongs!

By the way, this training video will be conducted by no less than James Magos a.k.a. Chef Jimbo de Panadero. Need I say more?

Here’s a glimpse of Chef Jimbo in action:

Did you like it? I know you did.

Here’s something you’ll like even more. I’ve provided links for each individual class details and enrollment.

Now click the button below if you want to avail of all the class and save! You know you want to. Wink, wink. See you in class!

The post Online Class: Pinoy Pasalubong appeared first on Online Baking and Cooking Classes - The Bailiwick Academy.