More than a decade ago, Baguio was my go-to destination mainly due to its weather and colorful pocket parks. I loved walking around the city day and night, visiting the ukay-ukay (thrift shops) and slowly learning the art of haggling and resting in the middle of Burnham Park while admiring the inexpensive clothes that I scored from the ukay-ukay. I went there for Holy Week, semestral break and holidays, but it all changed when thousands of people choked up its streets and prices of ukay-ukay skyrocketed (relative to their original prices). I thought that enduring the six-hour trip from Quezon City was not worth the hassle, so my visits to the City of Pines became less frequent until it eventually stopped. Then, the pasalubong from Baguio started to beckon me to the past and reminded me why I loved going there. The smell of freshly-picked strawberries invaded my nostrils. It transported me to that early morning, 15 years ago, when my friend and I picked strawberries in the middle of a farm. We were too cold to move our limbs but the thought that we could eat what we would pick moved us along. Also, I became acutely aware of the plastic bottle that envelops one of my favorite sweet treats of all time-Romana Peanut Brittle. Its familiar taste that I came to love flirted with my palate, and in a nanosecond, I was a goner.
For more pasalubong from Baguio, please read Pasalubong - Baguio, Part II.
Here are some of the pasalubong that made any trip to Baguio all the more memorable (even with the shoestring budget of a college student):
Romana Peanut Brittle. This is my favorite Baguio pasalubong. It is sweet but not overly so. The big container is 460 grams while the small has no indicated weight. The small one costs P120 (US $2.72).
Alfajor. This is my second favorite Baguio pasalubong. Just like the peanut brittle, it is not too sweet and it has a hint of acidity due to the lemon rind. A 310-gram container has 13 pieces of alfajor and costs P250 (US $5.67).
Ingredients of alfajor: sugar, butter, lemon rind, salt, milk, caramel filling and confectioner’s sugar
Lengua de gato (tongues of the cat). I am sure the tongue of the cat is not as light or as yummy as this one.
Choco cornflakes. These choco cornflakes were drenched in dark chocolate, no wonder they look like squid ink, but they are sinfully wonderful. A 120-gram container costs P120 (US $2.72).
Guava Jam. This guava jam is fast becoming one of my favorite palaman (spread) on pan de sal, sliced bread or crackers. This bottle contains 475 grams of pure happiness. 🙂 It costs only P200 (US $4.54). Ingredients of guava jam: guava, sugar, citric acid, sodium benzoate and salt.
Strawberry Jelly. a 480-gram bottle costs P220 (US $4.99). Ingredients of strawberry jelly: fresh strawberries, sugar, fruit pectin, citric acid and sodium benzoate.
Ube Jam or purple yam jam. I used to eat the contents of an entire bottle in one sitting. 🙂 A 440-gram bottle costs P200 (US $4.54).
Ingredients of ube jam or purple yam jam: fresh ube, sugar, milk, butter, salt and sodium benzoate. As the label on the bottle states, no artificial color has been added.
Longganisa or sausage. Technically, it is Vigan longaniza but it is readily available in Baguio. 🙂 One kilogram costs P180 (US $4.08)
The Good Shepherd products feed not only the body but also nourish the soul. Part of the proceeds from their products help send their student workers from Cordillera through college.
Gud day po pede ba ako mag order online tga bataan po ako salamat po…
Hello, Carvie.
Hindi ako nagbebenta ng mga pasalubong. Nagsulat lang ako tungkol dito para maipamahagi ang mga nabili at nakita ko. Maaari mong tawagan ang gusto mong bilhan kung nasa larawan ang kanilang numero ng telepono.
Salamat.
Roselee