BULACAN: Food Trip and Pasalubong

Bulacan is known for their sweet delicacies and other homemade offerings. That's why when I had an opportunity to visit this province north of Manila, I finally embarked on a journey to visit the stores offering these products.

1. Ensaymada Malolos

This is one of the two most popular products of Eurobake, a well-known bakeshop located at MacArthur highway near the boundary arch of Malolos-Guiguinto towns.Its difference from Ensaymada Kapampangan is that the Malolos versions has added salted egg and ham on larger version. The pastry has a creamy cheesy taste with added kick of salted egg.

2. Inipit de Leche

The other offering and flagship product of Eurobake is still the inipit. This pastry is made from two flat chiffon cakes, pressed and laden with custard in between. Hence, inipit or "pressed". It's like eating a mamon with leche flan inside. Tough a bit pricey compared to its size, the quality of the product is still there, as they say.

3. Pastillas

San Miguel town at north of Bulacan is known for their pastillas made from carabao's milk. A pasalubong shop at highway near a bus stopover leads you to Sevilla's sweets. They also sell different kinds of sweets but the best seller is the Pastillas de Leche. I bought an assorted box and tasted each one: the purple one is ube-flavored, yellow for yema, orange for keso, green for langka, and white one for milk flavor (leche). For me, the white one is the best tasting pastillas.

4. Minasa

After visiting the Bustos Town Hall, I saw a little store selling minasa, the flagship product of this municipality. They even have a festival for it. I bought a small jar and upon looking at the contents, it reminded me of uraro that I used to buy from Samal, Bataan and Liliw, Laguna. The difference between the uraro and the minasa is that, the latter one has coconut milk. Still, both have chalky texture and I munched more of these in one sitting.

5. Barquillos

On the same store where I bought minasa, their version of barquillos has a coconut milk ingredient, too. I'm not used to eat cookies and wafer with coconut milk flavor, but I can't help finishing a part of its jar, because of light wafers. These rolls are best paired with ice cream.

6. Crispy Mushroom Flakes and Bits

After alighting from a jeep at Plaridel crossing, I started walking to the town center to visit St. James Church. I noticed a stall near an academy selling mushroom products. When I saw that they're selling mushroom chips, I got curious on how would it taste like munching these. Finaly, I bought one with original flavor. After unsealing the foil pack, what made me surprise is that these mushrooms taste like chicharon! I resisted eating only few of these, but I can't help to finish all the contents. It's very addicting! Hoping to buy other flavors when I had a chance to see these nearby.

7. Putok Pandesal de Baliuag

Before crossing the bridge leading to Bustos town, I searched for a bakery selling "putok Baliuag". I got curious on what is its form and taste. After walking from the town plaza and passing by the old town hall (now a museum), I saw this bakery called Lin-Mers. At their countertop, I noticed these little buns labeled "Putok Special". I knew this is what I'm looking for. The appearance is just like your ordinary pandesal bought at local bakeries, but the taste is milky, reminding me of pinagong from Sariaya, but still pandesal dough was used. I'd say this pandesal version is milky and heavy in tummy. A piece can make you full and no spread needed.

8. Chicharon

Santa Maria town is best known for poultry products as well as chicharon-making industry. I've seen Jennie's brand in several TV shows and luckily, my officemate bought this product for our team building. I happily exclaimed that this snack is what I sought for. The seasoned crackling is addictive. There are other variants and flavors available, but I prefer the classic one.

Visita Iglesia in Bulacan

I felt that I want to explore more, so as my campaign of church visits in the Philippines, I take one province at a time. After Laguna, Cavite, Rizal and Batangas provinces (Metro Manila on separate post), I want to embark more going north. Thus, Bulacan province is what comes to my mind since it's the gateway to Central Luzon. This province is so vast, that one day isn't enough to visit most of heritage churches. Because of this, I visited them in different dates.

Starting from the southern part of the province, the town of Obando is just stone's throw away from Valenzuela City. Its St. Paschal Baylon Church houses patrons famous for Fertility Rites which couples offer eggs and dance to festive beat in hoping of son/daughter, husband/wife, or good fortune.

The nearby Meycauayan City has St. Francis of Assisi Church standing at a nearby river. It has a historic tree near its façade.

The St. Michael The Archangel Church of Marilao is also located near a river.

The town of Bocaue is famous for their fireworks as well as their colonial period St. Martin of Tours Church.

  

Along the MacArthur highway lies the St. Ildefonsus of Toledo Church at Guiguinto town.

I rode a jeepney at Balagtas Market where a terminal going to the town of Bulakan is located. There, Our Lady of Assumption Church takes pride of its antiquity, as the oldest church in the province.

Off to Barasoain, Malolos City, the historic Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church has a museum at the church convent maintained by National Historical Institute.

 

Being the seat of the Diocese of Malolos, the Minor Basilica of Our Lady of Immaculate Conception at Malolos City has a bishop's residence at its wide plaza as well as the historic tree being the meeting place of our independence forefathers.

Famous for their native vinegar, Paombong has its parish, the St. James The Apostle Church.

Until I first visited this church, Hagonoy houses the National Shrine of St. Anne. The patron saint known as "Apo Ana" is the mother of Virgin Mary and her relics can be found here.

My one day ended here at this town. The other day, I continued my church visit starting at the adjacent town.

It was Sunday morning when I attended mass at the old church of Calumpit. St. John The Baptist Church is more that 400 years old standing on a nearby river.

 

St. Isidore The Laborer Church of Pulilan is where the carabaos kneel on the feast day of their patron saint.

 

 

Across the nearby river is the town of Plaridel formerly known as Quingua. There, the St. James The Apostle Church is famous for its mosque-like façade.

Going far north is the progressive town of Baliuag. St. Augustine of Hippo Church has a high bell tower and most of it remain intact.

The nearby town of Bustos has its patron venerated in Sto. Niño Church located at the bank of Angat River. Though a few kilometers away from Baliuag's town center, parishioners from Bustos petitioned to have their own parish due to an accident where people drowned in the mighty river as they went to nearby parish across it.

A remote town of San Rafael will take you to its parish, the St. John of God Church where the a bloody battle happened at its site.

On the eastern part of Bulacan lies Angat town where Sta. Monica Church stands next to municipal hall.

Neighboring town of Norzagaray has St. Andrew The Apostle Parish at their poblacion.

Going to south is the booming town of Sta. Maria where the Immaculate Conception Church stands on the hilly part of the vicinity.

Lastly, the San Jose del Monte City has its namesake for its patron at St. Joseph Church standing at the hilly part of the city, hence the city's name in Spanish literally means "St. Joseph of the mountain".

After the town of Baliuag, if you opt to move northward along the national highway, you can go directly to northern towns of San Ildefonso and San Miguel.

The flagship church of St. Ildephonse of Toledo in San Ildefonso is located along the highway. The red-brick facade is adjacent to a patio and police station.

At the heritage town of San Miguel, the parish of St. Michael the Archangel is nestled in the heart of poblacion, surrounded by old houses and right infront of brick-faced municipal hall.

As for recap, here are my routes for my two-day church visit:

Day 1: Obando-Meycauayan City-Marilao-Bocaue-Guiguinto-Bulakan-Malolos City-Barasoain-Paombong-Hagonoy

Day 2: Calumpit-Pulilan-Plaridel-Baliuag-Bustos-San Rafael-Angat-Norzagaray-Sta. Maria-San Jose del Monte City

Spinoff from Baliuag: San Ildefonso-San Miguel-(churches of Nueva Ecija in a separate post)

Have a blessed trip everyone! (n_n)