Discover Bulacan Sweets
My Story
I grew up in Bulacan, a province north of Manila. Bulacan, in the late 50’s, was the essence of provincial Filipino life. Old, wooden houses lined our quiet street. Behind the houses were rice fields as far as the eye could see. The fields were our summer playgrounds where we’d fly kites and climb haystacks.
My fondest childhood memories were made in the warmth of our neighborhood panaderia. Barely eight years old, before sunrise, I’d hop out of bed and race down our street in the cool dawn air. The sweet smell of yeast and rising bread beckoned me. Inside the panaderia, I was welcomed by familiar faces and the warmth radiating from the pugon, a large,
wood-fired stone oven.
“Manong, dalawampong pandesal ‘nga, po!” (“Sir, twenty pandesal, please!”)
The manong would quickly pluck 20 pieces from a bamboo basket lined with heavy cloth, swiftly transferring the small buns into a big, brown paper bag. I would run back home hugging that warm bag and savoring the aroma of the sweet, freshly-baked bread. As soon as I got home, I’d split a warm pandesal with my hands, slather it with butter, and watch as the butter melted into the bread. My happiest memories were formed from bites of warm,
buttered pandesal.
This would inspire me to explore the world of breads and sweets that my home province was known for: ensaymada topped with butter, sugar, and salted egg; bukayo made from caramelized coconut; belekoy taffy infused with toasted sesame seeds; pan de coco stuffed with sweet, shredded coconut, and many, many more.
Sixty years and thousands of miles away from the Bulacan of my childhood, I still cherish these sweet memories. These are the memories I recreate with and share through everything we make at Bulacan Sweets.