Breads and pastries are also among the wonderful tradition of the Filipino cuisine. Throughout the years, these have been the all-time favorite foods shared by Pinoys with their loved ones, bring them home as pasalubong or gifts, and eat them together with family and friends during special occasions.
While there are a lot of well-loved bread and pastries in the Philippines, below is a list of the 10 kinds that Pinoys fondly eat.
The most humble of Filipino breads is also the most popular – pandesal, which is made simply with eggs, flour, salt, sugar, and yeast. It was created in the Philippines in the 16th century. Pandesal has become a part of the traditional Filipino breakfast.
Filipinos usually eat it in the mornings while it is oven-fresh and warm. While pandesal can be eaten on its own, many Filipinos fill it with cheese, coconut jam, peanut butter, butter, fried eggs, sardines, or cooked meat. A cup of hot coffee or chocolate drink goes well with it.
Originally, pandesal was hard and crusty outside and bland inside. Over the years, it has changed into a soft and sweet kind of bread.
Siopao is a white, round, steamed bun stuffed with pork, beef, shrimp, or salted egg and flavored with sweet or spicy sauces. It is very filling and is usually eaten by Filipinos on the go as snacks in mid-afternoons..
A kind of brioche, ensaymada is a popular Filipino bread that is rounded and flavored with grated cheese and sprinkled with sugar on top, making it popular among sweet-toothed kids and kids-at-heart alike.
Ensaymada is suited to people from all walks of like. We have ensaymada from our local bake shop that sells it cheaply for a dime.
We can also get the upscale ensaymada in five-star hotels where it is topped off with butter cream and filled with purple yam, ham, salted eggs, or macapuno or coconut sport.
Buko pie is a traditional Filipino baked pastry that uses the ever-present coconut fruit in the Philippines. It is filled with young coconut meat and is made sweet, thick, and rich with condensed milk.
Buko pie is originally plain. Lately, however, essences of almond, pandan and vanilla have been used to add interesting flavors to this already yummy dish.
A staple during the yuletide season in the Philippines, crema de fruta is originally a soft cake layered with cream, custard, candied fruit, and topped off with gelatin. Recently, however, Filipinos have created crema de fruta using layers of honey-flavored crackers, cream, condensed milk, candied fruits, and gelatin. This colorful and lip-smacking treat is chilled until the gelatin is set. It is served cold.
- Hopia
Hopia is a customary gift that Filipinos give as delicious presents to friends and families during special occasions. It can, however, be eaten on just about any ordinary day.
A round, bean-filled pastry, it is so popular in the Philippines that it has spawned varieties:
- Hopiang Mungo = hopia filled with paste of mung beans
- Hopiang Baboy = hopia filled with pork, winter melon, and onions
- Hopiang Ube = hopia filled with paste of purple yam
- Hopiang Hapon = hopia filled with beans of azuki beans
Empanada is a world-recognized pastry that got its name from the Spanish verb empanar, which means to wrap in bread. It is made by wrapping dough around fillings of meat, cheese, fruits, and vegetables.
The Filipino-style empanada is usually filled with beef, chicken, potatoes, onions, and raisins. However, in the northern part of the Philippines called Ilocos region – which is branded for its scrumptious local empanada – empanada is made with egg yolks, local sausages, green papayas, and mongo beans.
Pinoy empanada is either baked or deep-fried, giving it either a chewy or a crunchy texture.
- Monay
Basically a milk and egg bread, monay is a heavy, fine, and solid baked goodie that is easily recognized for its large size, round shape, and crease on the top.
Its exterior is a bit hard but its interior is soft, chewy and tasty enough to eat without any spreads.
- Pan de Coco
Literally translated to English as coconut bread, pan de coco is a sweet, medium-sized bread with sweet shredded coconut meat inside.
Plump, round, and golden brown, it is usually eaten as a mid-afternoon snack.
- Puto Seko
Light, crunchy and a bit tough on the outside, puto seko is a Filipino butter pastry that Pinoys love dipping in coffee or hot chocolate. It is quickly recognizable for its small size, round shape, and white color.
Puto seko can be prepared in less than 30 minutes. Its ingredients are simply butter, sugar, corn flour, and baking powder.
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