Yummy Pasalubongs to Get in Bacolod
One of the best activities to do in Bacolod is going on a food crawl. Besides the most-craved Bacolod chicken inasal, there are many other delicious finds at cafes and pasalubong shops that line major streets like Lacson Street. We found a lot of them worth taking home, so here are some of the best and yummiest pasalubong (food souvenirs) from Bacolod to take home for your loved ones!
Muscovado Sugar
Muscovado sugar is a kind of raw organic sugar—considered by some as an artisanal product—which has been traditionally used in many Filipino desserts like sticky rice and hot chocolate or coffee. Compared to the plain sweetness of regular white sugar, muscovado sugar has a distinct taste and contains most of the nutrients that come naturally from sugarcane. Besides sweetening your coffee, it also contributes a rich, fragrant and bittersweet taste to your drink (or dish).
While you can buy muscovado sugar from many pasalubong or food souvenir shops in Bacolod, we recommend buying it from Bacolod Central Market, a local public market near the public plaza.
Piaya
A local favorite, piaya is a kind of crunchy flatbread filled with muscovado sugar. It comes in different flavors like ube (purple yam) and mango. You can buy it in ready-to-take-home packs or buy a few pieces fresh off the pan to enjoy as snacks while you go around the city or drink coffee.
The two most popular pasalubong shops, BongBong’s and Merzci’s, have branches near the central public plaza of Bacolod along Gatuslao St. and Rizal St.
Napoleones
If you’re from Manila or other provinces far from Bacolod, you might have never heard of napoleones until you go to Bacolod. In this province, napoleones is always being sought out. It is the name of a cream-puff-like pastry with creamy filling and sugar glazing. They are best eaten when chilled, together with a hot cup of coffee.
These sweet treats are also available at BongBong’s and Merzci’s. They come in small square sizes and bigger rectangular sizes.
Guapple Pie
Guapple Pie is a unique sweet creation that came about by sheer accident. And yet, it has become one of the best-selling delicacies by El Ideal Bakery in Bacolod. The bakery originally sold common fruit pies until they ran out of apples. That forced them to use another kind of fruit to produce enough fruit pies for their customers. That’s when the delicious Guapple Pie, which combines crunchy and sweet, came into existence.
You will most likely have a hard time finding these pies back in the city, so take as many boxes as you can at El Ideal in Bacolod!
Sinamakan
IMAGE Choose Philippines
We know how much people would want to take home a few pieces of Bacolod chicken inasal. It is, however, a difficult thing to do. So, if you want to be reminded of the mouthwatering goodness of Bacolod chicken after you leave the province, we recommend that you take home a big bottle of Sinamakan instead.
Sinamakan, also called Sinamak, is a very popular dip to go with chicken inasal in Bacolod. It is vinegar typically mixed with red and green chili peppers, ginger, and garlic. It adds more excitement to any kind of fried or grilled meat! At least, that’s a good piece of remembrance of your delicious chicken experience in Bacolod.
Written by Rizelle “Rei” Leaño
