The Jelly List: Merienda classics for your holiday snacking

The holiday season is upon us, and with it comes a certain sense of nostalgia for days gone by.

Some of my favorite childhood memories involve snacking on classic Pinoy delicacies for merienda during my holiday break.

Merienda, or sometimes called minindal, may refer to either the mid-morning or mid-afternoon light snack eaten to fill in the gap in-between meals.

Luckily, we Pinoys grew up with a myriad of food items that we enjoy for during this snack time. Some of the classic merienda fare may have been overshadowed by Western snacks over the years, but I’m glad to see that many are regaining popularity, spurred by the efforts of foodies and these food entrepreneurs.

Ferino’s Bibingka

Ferino’s Bibingka started in pre-war Tondo, Manila when Mang Ferino Francisco started selling kakanin outside his family’s home. While most of his stores closed with his passing, the Ferino’s Bibingka brand was revived by his grandson, Sonny Francisco, who began to operate bibingka dine-in and takeout stores in 2016.

Ferino’s version of bibingka, the Bibingka Extra Super, is made of pure galapong mixed with two fresh eggs, topped with salted eggs and kesong-puti.

Ferino’s Bibingka
Ferino’s Bibingka

Ferino’s Bibingka accepts orders via:

More deets on Ferino’s Bibingka here.

Ka Mely’s Bibingka, Atbp.

This Cainta-based food business got its start when the Alcantara family matriarch Amelia – also known as Ka Mely – decided to expand her Bibingka-selling business to include the production of native delicacies. Today, it is a well-established food manufacturer with three physical stores as well as regular resellers.

Ka Mely’s Bibingka is more of a rice cake made with sticky glutinous rice topped with caramelized sugar and coconut cream.

Ka Mely’s Bibingka
Ka Mely’s Bibingka

Ka Mely’s Bibingka, Atbp accepts orders via:

More deets on Ka Mely’s Bibingka, Atbp here.

Mama Lola’s Suman sa Latik

Foodpreneur Thirdee Duran turned her mom’s recipe for suman sa latik into a thriving food business during the quarantine.

A box of Mama Lola’s Suman sa Latik contains six pieces of banana leaf-wrapped suman and a generous helping of latik, more than enough to satisfy your suman craving.

Mama Lola’s Suman sa Latik
Mama Lola’s Suman sa Latik

Mama Lola’s Suman sa Latik accepts orders via:

More deets on Mama Lola’s Suman sa Latik here.

Bantay Bread

This Ilocos-based family business started out in 2010 as a local panaderia supplying morning pan de sal to its patrons. During quarantine, the family behind Bantay Bread set about pivoting their business to operate in their new business environment by expanding its product offers and its coverage areas to now include Metro Manila.

Its Pianono – named after Pope Pius IX also known as Pio Nono – is basically a sponge cake roll with a sweet buttercream filling

Bantay Bread
Bantay Bread

For more details on its product offerings and availability in your area, follow Bantay Bread on Facebook and Instagram.

More deets on Bantay Bread here.

Pampanga’s Cheesebread

The Metro Manila reseller of Pampanga landmark LBS Bakeshop, it has brought its famous Cheesebread to the metro.

These golden, cheesy and sweet balls of bread defies description. You simply have to taste it for yourself.

LBS Bakeshop
LBS Bakeshop

Pampanga’s Cheesebread accepts orders through its Metro Manila reseller – Pam via:

More deets on Pampanga’s Cheesebread here.

Tita She’s Bakery

Pan de Sal, the most common bread roll in the Philippines, is made with flour, yeast, sugar, eggs and water and is a staple many breakfast tables.

Its softer, longer and more buttery and sugary version, on the other hand, is called Spanish Bread.

Antipolo-based foodpreneur Tita She’s Bakery adds delicious and colorful twists to these classic breads by integrating cake flavors into them such as ube, cheese, ube cheese, ube choco, choco cheese, choco hazelnut, banana cake, banana hazelnut and carrot cake.

Tita She’s Bakery
Tita She’s Bakery

Tita She’s Bakery accepts orders via:

As you can see, there’s quite a lot of options for merienda treats in the metro that will bring back pleasant childhood memories. Try them out and let me know what you think!

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The Jelly List: Father’s Day gift ideas for your foodie dad

They say a dad is a son’s first hero and a daughter’s first love.

There’s no doubt that our fathers play a very important role in our lives. With Father’s Day coming in a few days, it’s time to think about what to give our dads as little tokens of our love and appreciation for all they have done and continue to do for us.

This task is even easier if our dads have a great love and regard for good food. Luckily, we have an abundance of great food choices that can be delivered straight to Dad’s doorstep to delight him come Father’s Day.

Let me share with you my top picks:

Pampanga’s Famous Cheesebread from LBS Bakeshop

If Daddy ever tasted Pampanga’s famous cheese bread, I’ll bet that he will be craving for more. As luck would have it, this delicacy is now easily available in the metro. At just Php299 for a box of thirty pieces of cheese bread, he can eat his fill of this yummy pastry from Pampanga’s LBS Bakeshop.

LBS Bakeshop

To order, just send a message through Facebook or Viber +63 999 8233340.

More on Pampanga’s Cheesebread here.

Sous Vide Steak from The Manila Hotel

If Dad is a certified carnivore, he will love the Sous Vide Steaks from The Manila Hotel.  “Sous vide” – or “under vacuum” in French – refers to the process of vacuum-sealing food in a bag then cooking it in a very precise temperature in a water bath. Cooking steaks sous vide results in a tender and juicy meat, evenly cooked from edge to edge. Daddy will surely delight in the premium cuts of imported meats, prepared by The Manila Hotel’s expert chefs.

The Manila Hotel’s Sous Vide Steak

Pre-order now to get 20% off on a minimum food bill of Php2,500 for pickup or delivery on Father’s Day by calling +63 2 85270011 or sending an SMS/Viber at +63 998 9501912.

More on The Manila Hotel here.

Choco Lovin Ice Cream Cake from Papa Diddi’s

Give Daddy a break from the heat with the all-new Choco Lovin ice cream cake from Papa Diddi’s. Made with Batangas tablea punctuated with choco chips, matched with chocolate cake, giving Daddy a rich dark chocolate experience.

Papa Diddi’s Choco Lovin

Course your order through Papa Diddi’s Facebook and Instagram accounts or have it delivered via FoodPanda.

More on Papa Diddi’s here.

Tableya Filipina from Theo & Brom

If Daddy is a hard-core chocolate fan, gift him with a bag of Tableya Filipina. Made as an homage to the country’s traditional tablea tsokolate, it can be made into a rich hot chocolate for his morning drink or added to baked goods to get that rich chocolate flavor.

Theo&Brohm Tableya Filipina

Order your Theo & Brom’s Tableya Filipina here.

Jams from The Fruit Garden

Speaking of Daddy’s morning chocolate drink, how about the rest of his agahan? Sweeten his pan de sal with some fruity jams from The Fruit Garden. These artisanal jams are cooked in small batches using copper cauldrons to bring about a burst of fruity flavors.

The Fruit Garden Jams

Order your jars of The Fruit Garden’s jams at SpeedRegalo.

Ube Pandan Premium Flantasy Cake from What’s Your Flan

This creamy cake flan combines the flavor of ube (purple yam) with the appetizing aroma of pandan. If my Hubby’s reaction to this dessert is any indication, it’s sure to be a hit with Dad!

What’s Your Flan?

Order your Ube Pandan Premium Flantasy Cake from What’s Your Flan?’s Facebook or Instagram account or call +63 916 497 8876.

More on What’s Your Flan here.

Bottled Cocktails from After Hours Bar

Celebrate the weekend with Dad by gifting After Hours Bar’s Gin Basil Smash cocktail in a bottle. Minors and non-tipplers in the family can join in the fun with After Hours Bar’s refreshing Handcrafted Iced Tea.

After Hours Bar Bottled Cocktails

Order your After Hours Bar bottled cocktails here.

More on After Hours Bar here.

So check out these yummy gift ideas for your foodie dad and show him how much you love him this Father’s Day!

Check out my other adventures compiled into Jelly Lists:

Header photo created by freepik – www.freepik.com

Photos for Sous Vide Steak, Choco Lovin and Tableya Filipina provided by The Manila Hotel, Papa Diddi’s and Theo & Brom, respectively.

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