Eating our way across Iloilo, day 2
You can’t do a culinary heritage tour of Iloilo without stopping at Panaderia de Molo, the bakery that’s been around since colonial times. Noting the Jose Rizal sesquicentennial banner in front of the store, we asked the owners Kristine Gaona Treñas and Georgina Gaona if the national hero had set foot in the bakery. They said they weren’t sure if Rizal had come to the bakery himself, but he definitely visited friends in town.
If he had merienda at his friends’ houses, there’s a good chance that he ate Panaderia de Molo’s famous hojaldres, rosquetes, bañadas, kinihad or galletas.
These Ilonggo delicacies have been made at Panaderia de Molo for 130 years. We visited the bakery while the staff were preparing the dough for kinamonsil, the tamarind-shaped cookies.
This machine has been beating eggs since the 1940s. They don’t make them that big any more.
The giant basket is a strainer for the kinamonsil.
During the Spanish era mass quantities of egg whites were used for cement in building churches. To keep the egg yolks from going to waste, bakers produced barquillos, rosquillos, biscocho and other snacks.
This brick oven has been in continuous operation for over a century. The only time it takes a break is during Lent, when it is thoroughly cleaned. It takes a couple of days for the oven to cool down.
Mrs Teresita Sanson Larraga at the counter of their main bakery on Avanceña Street. Panaderia de Molo products are available at Market Market at Bonifacio Global City.
Answers to questions you might be asking, unless you wandered onto this site purely by accident >>>
January 17th, 2012 at 08:16
If there is anything to be thankful for when it comes to Spanish and Portuguese colonization, it would be their constant use of egg whites for construction… which always leaves the remaining egg yolks for tasty food products! (See also: leche flan, tocino del cielo, and custard tarts from Macau.) The kitchen snob in me is also drooling over the vintage egg beater and the brick oven, as well.
Looks like I’ll be sneaking in a surprise trip to Market! Market! while I’m in Global City tomorrow. Those cookies are calling my name…
January 17th, 2012 at 11:35
That pugon is really pretty but it scares me because it always reminds me of Hansel & Gretel and how they pushed the witch in the oven O_o
When I was younger, I used to watch Batibot and they did a feature on how to make pan de sal. This made me want to be a panadero lol! I told my dad about it and he made me stop watching Batibot hahaha.
January 17th, 2012 at 11:54
Ang pinakamalayong destinasyon ko nitong nakaraang taon ay sa National Bookstore dian sa Rockwell. Ay, mahabaging langit, kahiya-hiya!
January 17th, 2012 at 12:17
thanks for these posts on iloilo :) recently went there but only got to try batchoy at a ted’s restaurant after going to the miag-ao church which is a world heritage site. definitely a lot more to see and eat next time i drop by.
January 17th, 2012 at 13:38
wow, i miss my culinary class..
January 17th, 2012 at 14:55
Momelia — Ayyy anlayo naman niyan friend! Hindi ka na pagod sa biyahe?
January 17th, 2012 at 16:03
oooooh the joy of eating! hungry now. i miss batchoy. one thing about Iloilo that frightens me though are the ruthless jeepney drivers. parang mauubusan ng lupa!
January 17th, 2012 at 19:50
i definitely agree that you should never miss a trip at panaderia de molo if you’re visiting Iloilo City. thanks jessica for featuring this piece of ilonggo heritage, panaderia de molo is already considered a legend in pastry here in the city.
January 18th, 2012 at 06:36
Naku fren, di pa ko nakaka-recover sa jet lag… mashadong na-warp ang circadian rhythms ng aking katawang lupa. Kailangan kong mag-batchoy. O kaya hopia.