Filipino Sojourner

It is my habit to take home something from the places that I visited. It could be food or it could be any souvenir that is unique in the area. In the case of Cebu, my take home, or what we Filipinos call as pasalubong, are food - plenty of food - and most of it are the favorites of my loved ones.

I previously posted about my visit to Taboan Market where I bought dried danggit and dried squid. This time, I went to another pasalubong center of Cebu where I bought some sweet pasalubong for the family.

This Cebu pasalubong center is Shamrock and it is famous for its otap. This crunchy bread is so yummy that it is always included in My Beloved Wife’s pasalubong list whenever I go to Cebu.

I also brought home some hojaldres.

The Shamrock pasalubong center that I usually visit is the one located near the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral.

It is conveniently located because I can easily drop by this place after I visited the Sto. Nino Basilica and the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral.

In my last visit to Cebu City, I dropped by another Shamrock pasalubong center and this one is located near the Fuente Osmeña Circle.

Yummy pasalubong from Shamrock in Cebu Citty

This Shamrock store is much better because it is not just a pasalubong center but it is also a restaurant.

The name of this pasalubong center is interesting because the word Shamrock is not Cebuano nor Spanish. It is actually Irish and it means three-leafed clover plant.

This pasalubong center was established before the Second World War as a joint business venture between the Pampangeña Honoria Paras and an Irish businessman, hence the name Shamrock. Their first shop is located at the old Compania Maritima building, which is near the Carbon Market and the Cebu City Hall. Unfortunately, the War brought destruction to Cebu and this is the possible reason why the Irish businessman left the country. Honoria continued the Shamrock Bakery after the War and it now grew as a popular to visitors of Cebu for its yummy otap.

Another pasalubong center in Cebu is Titay’s, which is famous for its melt-in-your-mouth rosquillos. I was able to drop by Titay’s during my first trip to Cebu after my visit to the Camotes Islands. Unfortunately, I was not able to visit Titay’s Bakery in the town of Lilo-an during my latest visit to Cebu. Good thing that a friend gave me this mamon from Titay’s.

Another Cebu pasalubong that is always in My Beloved Wife’s list is the dried mangoes.

Lei likes Cebu’s dried mango so much that she kept reminding about it. Well, I couldn’t blame her since it is of export quality.

And that’s all the yummy pasalubong that I brought from Cebu. I got all of Lei’s favorites: the dried danggit, otap, and dried mangoes and there’ the extra hojaldres and Titay’s mamon, which we enjoyed for many days.

---

Read more of my latest adventure in the island of Cebu!

Laag-Laag sa Cebu (Part 20): A Taste of Cebu's Yummy Lechon Belly
Laag-Laag sa Cebu (Part 19): Temple of Leah - The House of Vanity
Laag-Laag sa Cebu (Part 18): A Better Stay in Bayfront Hotel in Cebu
Laag-Laag sa Cebu (Part 17): A Great View of Cebu City from Tops Busay
Laag-Laag sa Cebu (Part 16): A Taste of Mandarin in Cebu City
Laag-Laag sa Cebu (Part 15): Taboan the Pasalubong Center of Cebu City
Laag-Laag sa Cebu (Part 14): My Accidental Visit to Mt. Carmel Church

Laag-Laag sa Cebu (Part 3): Feasting on Consolacion’s Fresh Talaba
Laag-Laag sa Cebu (Part 2): Finding Consolation in Consolacion Church

Laag-Laag sa Cebu (Part 1): My Boat Ride Under the Bridges of Mactan Channel

A Foretaste of Cebu in Mactan Cebu International Airport

---

Shamrock Bakery's history was sourced from Shamrock Bakery website.

.

A visit to Cebu will not be complete without tasting the world-famous lechon. So, during the first night of my 2016 Cebu trip, we went to SM City Cebu to finally taste Cebu’s original lechon belly.

Cebu's Original Lechon Belly in SM City Cebu, Cebu City

Cebu’s lechon or roasted pig is loved for its crunchy skin and tasty meat. My co-worker claimed that Cebu’s lechon is much better than Luzon’s lechon, which she said is bland on the inside.

History of Cebu’s Lechon (Lechon History)

The word lechon implies that the lechon dish is of Spanish origin. In fact, lechon is widespread in former colonies of Spain like the Puerto Rico and Cuba. Lechon de leche, which literally means milk sucker, refers to the suckling pig that is roasted to yummy crispy perfection.

I read two blogs that claim that the lechon predates the coming of the Spanish colonists in the Philippines. They claimed that Antonio Pigafetta, Ferdinand Magellan’s chronicler, wrote that the Cebuanos offered the Spaniards pig, grilled fish, millet, rice cakes, and coconut. I read Pigafetta’s chronicle and I didn’t find any mention of roasted pig that fits the description of lechon. In short, there is a possibility that lechon didn’t predate the coming of Spaniards.

An article in GMA News Online said that the first lechoneros in Cebu came from Talisay City where they invented the now famous roasted pig and initially called it as inasal. Inasal is a Bisaya word that means cooked over hot coals. Nowadays, inasal is associated with roasted chicken while the roasted pig became lechon.

Lechon is a common dish throughout the Philippines and Manila and Luzon have its own versions of it. What set Cebu lechon apart is the fact that it is so yummy that it doesn’t require any sauce. The Cebu lechon captured the taste buds of the celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain, so much so, that he claimed that lechon is the “best pig ever”.

Yummy lechon belly from Cebu's Original Lechon Belly

The yummy lechon belly o Cebu.

The idea of lechon belly was formed in the 1930s by a lechonero family in Balamban, Cebu. The yummy lechon belly was created because the lechoneros noticed that the belly of the lechon baboy was the first to be eaten by their customers. The lechon belly concept spread from Balamban and became the favorite lechon dish, particularly in Cebu's Original Lechon Belly restaurant.

There were few customers when we dined at the place. However, our food took a while to arrive. Looking at their staff preparing the lechon made my stomach grumble.

Preparing lechon belly in Cebu's Original Lechon Belly

Our lechon belly arrived with puso or steamed rice wrapped in nipa leaves. Puso is common in the Visayas region and in Bisaya-dominated areas in Mindanao. I first tasted puso in Davao. I also tasted it during my first visit to Mactan Island.