What and where to buy the best pasalubong ala eh batangas

What and Where to Buy the Best Pasalubong ala eh Batangas Buying pasalubong for loved ones and colleagues has become a pleasant de rigueur part of a travel itinerary. Batangas offers several pasalubong items that are not just unique and representative of Batangas’ life and culture but are also affordable and readily available.

Pasalubong in Batangas can be usually bought at supermarkets and public markets and from vendors who ply at the bus stops and bus terminals. Here are some pasalubong items that are uniquely Batangas and tips where you can buy them.

Kapeng barako

Barako coffee, strong and kicking, is a great way to perk up one’s day. (Image: Gregorio's Coffee Bean)

If there is one product that is a Batangas trademark, it is kapeng barako. Kape is the Filipino word for coffee while barako is the Filipino word for male stud, brave and strong. Kapeng barako is the Liberica variety of coffee that is strong in taste and aroma. The first coffee tree in the Philippines was planted in Lipa.

Kapeng barako is best partnered with pan de sal (bread of salt), cakes and pastries; and Batangas delicacies like panocha and kalamay and Taal breakfast made of tapang Taal or longganisang Taal. The taste of this popular beverage can also be savored through the kapeng barako-based cake, which is featured in the province’s Ale Eh! Festival every December.

Where to buy: local public markets (PhP200/kilo), CafĂŠ de Lipa (PhP190/300 grams), Adorachitos Coffee (PhP250/kilo), Dairymoor Coffee (PhP150/box or PhP15/coffee bag)

Panocha

The ubiquitous and affordable panocha is an all-time favorite pasalubong from Batangas. (Image: Government) The common name is panocha. But in Batangas Tagalog, panocha is called panutsa or panucha.

But the panocha in Batangas is different from the panocha that most Filipinos is familiar with. In

most parts of the country, panocha refers to matamis na bao or muscovado.

Batangas, panocha is a native confection While the matamis na bao is called sangkaka.

In

The disc-shaped Batangas panocha is made of whole peanuts and caramelized raw sugar. There are two types of panocha – tuyo (dry) and basa (wet). The tuyo type has granular texture, and crumbles when nibbled. The basa type is smooth in texture, shiny in appearance, and crunchy when eaten.

Where to buy: local public markets (PhP9 and PhP40)

Tapang Taal and Taal longganisa

Tapang Taal and Taal longganisa are available in public markets. (Image: JC Dimailig Delector) Taal is more than just a heritage town, it has also tapang Taal and Taal longganisa. According to the Taal locals who sell tapang Taal and Taal longganisa, most of them are either second or third generation sellers and producers. The business of selling tapang Taal and Taal longganisa started in the early 1950s.

Tapang Taal can either be pork or beef but it has the same marination process that involves soy sauce, garlic, calamansi, and other ingredients.

Taal longganisa is a sausage delicacy prepared in a traditional way using pig intestines as casing.

It is basically garlic-based with hints of sugar and vinegar.

Where to buy: Taal Public Market (Pork tapang Taal - PhP250 per kilo; Beef tapang Taal - PhP300 per kilo; Taal longganisa - PhP270 per 22 pieces) Read: Where to Go for a New and Different Dining Experience in Batangas?

Tableya

In the olden days, tableya drink is known to be a VIP drink. (Image: Talisay Batangas) It is called tablea or tableya in Manila and other parts of the country. But in Batangas, tablea or tableya is called tabliya. It is the most popular breakfast, after siesta and comfort beverage next to coffee. Tableya usually comes in two shapes: round and semi-thick flat disc, almost the size of five- and ten-peso coins. The round ones are sweetened while the tablet-like shapes are unsweetened. Besides coffee, tableya is one of the food legacies of Spain to the Philippines.

Tableya comes from cacao beans and go through the same process as coffee – drying, roasting, and grounding plus molding into semi-thick discs or round shapes.

Other than using it to make a hot chocolate drink, tableya, a known antioxidant, is also used in champorado, a rice-based Filipino dish; and as cake flavor.

Where to buy: FG Pure Chocolate, Batangas public markets (Round tableya - PhP9 to PhP10 per piece; Tablet-like tableya - PhP5 to PhP6 per piece)

Kalamay

These triangular and brown kalamays are a traditional part of Batangas fiestas. (Image: Edwin C. Tuyay) A fiesta in Batangas is not complete without the ubiquitous kalamay (rice cake) that can be bought in cedera (sidewalk bazaar). This staple delicacy in Batangas fiestas is a favorite pasalubong of those who come to the plaza to watch serenata (serenade) concert or at the perya (or peryahan), the local version of amusement park.

Kalamay Batangas is distinct because of its triangular shape and brown color. Kalamay is made from malagkit (glutinous) rice, sangkaka (muscovado sugar), and coconut milk. Sometimes, it is made with latik (coconut milk residue or desiccated coconut) toppings.

This sweet, sticky, and filling Batangas delicacy is best eaten for breakfast and snack.

Where to buy: Public markets (PhP25)

Sweet tamarind

Sweet tamarind in its generic package in white and red colors (Image: Kristina Raizah C Liwanag For a province known to have brazen and brave people, Batangas is studded with sweet pasalubong.

Aside from panocha and kalamay, sweet tamarind is another Batangas pasalubong for the sweet tooth.

This sweet pasalubong originated from Lobo, Batangas where tamarind trees abound. It comes in several variants—seedless, with seeds and sweet and spicy.

Where to buy: Public markets (PhP35 to Ph100)

Balisong

Balisong is not just a pasalubong but also a form Batangueùo craftsmanship. (Image: Ona's Batangas Blades) If there is a Batangas product that is true to Batangueùo’s form of being bold and brave, aside from kapeng barako, it is balisong also known as Batangas blade, butterfly knife, or pocket knife.

It is also commonly known as bente nueve (twenty-nine), which refers to the 29-centimeter length of a balisong when fully opened. Considered the Batangas version of the Moslem kris, the origins of balisong is dated back as early as 800 AD, it being one of the Malaya-Polynesian weapons.

Balisong is not just a piece of deadly weapon; it is also a craft that goes through an intricate process that involves an assembly line not made of machines but humans. The whole tapestry of making balisong involves a blacksmith that produces the blade and several craftsmen whose basic skills involve the sharpening of the blade, making of the handle and polishing it, and putting together of the blades, handles, and clasps.

Where to buy: Taal Public Market, Balisong stalls in Brgy. Balisong and Brgy. Buli, Taal Batangas (PhP80 to PhP3000)

Prices may change without prior notice.