A Quick Trip to Tartland Baguio Pasarabo Factory

When one say "Baguio City," the first three food items that would come to mind would be -- Peanut Brittle, Strawberry (anything strawberry), and Lengua de Gato. Though Lengua de Gato is not my favorite Baguio City food item, it has been our usual pasalubong for family and friends.

On my last trip to the City of Pines, thanks to Azalea Residences Baguio, I was blessed to see how these delectable goodies are made.


Entering the Tartland Baguio Pasarabo factory, this electric mixer set and piping tube would be the first that would capture one's attention. This has been the family's source of inspiration, because back when they started the business, this was their tool in making their Lengua de Gato. Now that their business is constantly upgrading, this set of tools is a good reminder of their humble beginnings, that great things often start with a simple idea.

But how did Tartland Baguio Pasarabo start?

In the early 90s, Angie dela Cruz started making cheese tarts and offered them to fellow mothers at her children's schools. The product clicked, and she would then make more and more cheese tarts, but doing so caused her to throw away big amounts of egg whites, as the tarts would only use egg yolks. She was able to find a way to use the egg whites - by baking Lengua de Gato.

This new product was such a hit, that it even penetrated the Baguio pasalubong stores. Soon, they upgraded their tools to accommodate the growing demand for their products. They now employ about 25 employees, producing about 1,200 jars of their very delectable Lengua de Gato.


This was taken from a window before we entered the factory. As a food business, the need to make sure of the quality of their goods, so we were asked to wear hairnets and were asked not to touch any of the equipment and food product.


A good Lengua de Gato starts with the mixing of the ingredients. Ms. Angie dela Cruz told us there are a lot of recipes available online, but should we decide to try it out in our own kitchen, we have to make sure we use fresh ingredients.


After the batter is mixed, it is then loaded to this machine that pipes out 12 Lengua de Gato at one time. Cool!


They didn't divulge the temperature and the cooking time for their Lengua de Gato, but obviously, the next step is to bake them.


Trying not to break any of the delicate cookies, next step is to cool them and separate them according to their color. They might be cooked in the same temperature and time, but not all of them come out of the oven looking the same. They do have their standard color, but those dark ones are not completely discarded - they still pack them for other use.


Final step is to pack the cookies in their respective containers.


We truly enjoyed the short time we spent inside the factory, but aside from savoring the wonderful smell and buying the freshest Lengua de Gato, it was the story behind the success that was the biggest blessing I received from this trip. At this point, I am still trying to learn how to bake and I still don't have the strength to sell the baked goods I have tried, but I will keep this success story in my heart and hope that in time I will be successful in my own little way as well.

*** Jenn ***

Light Baguio Shopping

I try to travel light as much as possible. Since Baguio City is accessible to us, I told myself I would only buy items that we usually bring home whenever we travel to the City of Pines.


Lengua de Gato
by Tartland Baguio Pasarabo

Like I said on my old post, fellow bloggers and I were given the chance to visit the Tartland Baguio Pasarabo factory. Lengua de Gato has been our usual choice of pasalubong from Baguio, but I admit we never really took note of the brand or label. While we were at the factory, we were able to try Tartland's lengua de gato, and I really liked it. I bought three small containers and Azalea Residences Baguio placed another small container in their gift box for us, so two small containers we ate here at home, the other two we gave to our neighbors.

(Please stay tuned for an in-depth post about our visit to the Tartland Baguio Pasarabo factory.)


Banana Chips
by Baguio Bites

I love banana chips that are crunchy but not really hard to chew. This had the right crunch, the right sweetness, and the right price tag, so I bought three. I consumed them all within days after coming home.


Ube Jam
by Mountain Maid Training Center

My very first taste of the Ube Jam from Baguio wasn't a good experience. Since then, our family didn't dare buy another bottle, but when my parents went to Baguio for a church org conference, their group went to Mountain Maid Training Center, or more commonly known as the Good Shelpherd Convent, and my (late) father then learned the difference between this Ube Jam and those being sold in pasalubong shops. At first taste the family fell in love with it, that no Baguio trip is complete without buying this product.

Just a word of advice - only buy this product at Good Shepherd and not anywhere else, if you want to make sure of its freshness.

Turmeric Tea
by Yamang Bukid

March of this year - during the Session Road in Bloom - mom, sis, and I were walking along the famed road to check different products for sale when a vendor asked if we wanted to taste their turmeric tea. We liked the taste, bought a pack, and it gave mom health wonders. While on the road home from Baler (two weeks before this Baguio trip), we told our companions about the health benefits of this tea that some of my mom's former colleagues asked me if I could buy some for them.

Just at the foot of the Good Shepherd Convent, there were vendors selling different fruits. Seeing a stall selling this tea, I bought three bags, which my mom delivered the day after I got home, hence this old picture.

(Our full testimonial about this product will be on a separate post)


Fresh Lemons

After our group finished shopping at the Good Shepherd Convent, the BnB team asked our driver Lem to take us to the Baguio Public Market. I truly have no intention to buy anything, but when I saw an abundance of lemons, I thought I might as well ask for its price. Actually, prices vary depending on the quality of the fruit, but when a vendor sold these lemons for fifty pesos per half kilo (some sold it for 70 pesos), I decided to buy. Well, just a few days before traveling to Baguio, I bought a piece of lemon at a supermarket for 40 pesos (imagine that), so there was no hesitations anymore.



Choc'O and Milk'O Flakes
by Mikasan

The BnB team also spent time buying well loved Baguio food products, and when I saw this, I remembered fond memories with this products. I knew my sister loves the Choc'O Flakes, while I love the Milk O'Flakes, so I bought the container that contained both products.

Despite the short list of products bought, I was super happy with my purchase. Hopefully, the next time I travel to Baguio I can buy other products. I kinda regret not buying a kilo of fresh lychees for my mom because I knew it would be difficult to carry. Well, priorities will change next time.

*** Jenn ***

Buy 6 Pieces Krispy Kreme Original Glazed Doughnuts for Only 78 Pesos!

It was in 1937 when Vernon Rudolph opened his own doughnut store in Old Salem. It would take many decades before it reached the Philippines, but ever since the first Krispy Kreme shop opened in 2006, the response has been overwhelming, that this year, there have been different outlets in more than 60 locations nationwide. Their newest outlet opened in Rockwell Powerplant Mall last Thursday.




Yesterday (10 July 2015), Krispy Kreme had an early birthday party at the flagship store in Bonifacio High Street. Weather in Metro Manila has been gloomy for the past week, but my sister and I were so grateful that we didn't have to battle with hard rain going to the event and traveling back home.




Like most birthday parties, there were different activities for the attendees. First activity we tried was creating our own doughnuts... I truly enjoyed this because it allowed me to practice on my frosting piping skills, but I gotta admit, thinking of what design to make was the most difficult task of all.


My sister tried having her nails done; she now sports candy sprinkled nail art. Very Krispy Kreme doughnut, indeed. Sweet!


Of course, a birthday party is not complete without parlor games, fellow bloggers had fun joining the KK-Twister game and the Balloon Pinata. As much as it was fun finding for balloons with prizes inside, it was actually more fun popping the balloons. We were transported to our childhood!


Biggest surprise of the night was the "Most Creative Picture," because the winner was given a doughnut party worth 10,000 pesos. I was very happy for the winner - their picture was indeed very creative!


It was a very fun party, yes... but of course the fun didn't end there, because on Monday - 13 July 2015, Krispy Kreme is turning 78, and as a way to treat all Krispy Kreme fans nationwide, we all have a chance to bring home a box of 6-pieces Original Glazed Doughnuts for only 78 pesos!


How?

Download and Register in the Krispy Kreme Mobile App and show digital coupon to redeem Box of 6 Original Glazed. App coupons will be distributed beginning Sunday evening but valid only on Monday from 12am to 11:50pm.

OR, you may print or screen grab the 78th Birthday Celebration voucher from Krispy Kreme Official Facebook, Twitter or Instagram Page and present to the cashier.

For the complete terms and conditions, as well as the complete list of stores participating this party, please check out Krispy Kreme Official Facebook Page.


One last thing to say -- when you buy your Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnuts for 78 pesos, please do share your picture on your different social media sites with the hashtag #HBDkrispykreme.

Set your alarm, go to the store as early as possible, and don't forget your digital coupon and screen cap. See you all on Monday!

*** Jenn ***

Malunggay Pastel Bread

What a lazy week that was, really... I think I lost enthusiasm in many things last week, but I hope to pick myself up and make this week a great one for me. :)

My brother's girlfriend was in NCR last weekend attending a seminar, and while she didn't visit us here anymore (due to schedule constraints), she did give us a present:



A box of Malunggay Pastel Bread!

Before, when one speaks of Cagayan de Oro, it's quite automatic that the food "Pastel" is associated with it. I haven't been to Cagayan de Oro, but my brother told me almost everyone boarding the plane from Cagayan de Oro to Manila would have at least one box of Pastel to take home. It is quite funny, though, that the famous Pastel actually originated from Camiguin.

In 2010, a group of students from Xavier University came up with a feasibility study of adding bits of Malunggay leaves into the soft bun and now it is considered Cagayan de Oro's own delicacy.



I love it more than the more popular brand, really. The filling wasn't overly sweet and the bits of the malunggay leaves did give it a nice interesting twist to the taste. Priced at 60 to 70 pesos per box (6 buns inside), it sure is a great pasalubong that everyone will enjoy.

Brother said the Malunggay Pastel Bread is available at Limketkai Mall, Divisioria (CDO's Divisoria, not the one in Manila), and at the Cagayan de Oro Airport.

Lami Jud Kaayo!
Thanks for the gift, Ms. Emmy.

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So... what did you have last weekend? If you're new to the Weekend Eating meme, you can read the rules and get the badge codes HERE. My heartfelt thanks to everyone who joined last week.