The town of Lucban is famous for its Pahiyas, which is touted as the fiesta to end all fiestas. Who wouldn't be amazed with the houses decorated with kiping and veggies? Aside from the Pahiyas, Lucban is also famous for its super yummy delicacies.
I am fortunate to taste three of these super yummy delicacies of Lucban. So without further ado, here's the food that you should not miss when in your Lucban:
Pasalubong and Lucban’s Sweet Treats
A year after I visited Lucban, I got the chance to buy again my favorite pasalubong, which is the Broas.
Sweets from Lucban. (Photo by Erick)
Broas is a crunchy bread that is so puffy that it melts inside your mouth. It became my favorite Lucban treat because of sweetness. However, Broas get crushed easily. When buying broas, I suggest that you buy the ones stored in big cans. If you opt to buy those in plastic packs then I suggest that you protect it or else you'll eat pulverized broas. That’s what happened to my broas when I got home from my visit to Pahiyas Festival.
A pack of broas costs 35 pesos. I tried to haggle with the vendors but their resistance is stiff, thus I can’t buy broas at a price less than 35 pesos. Too bad that I never employed my own tips on haggling.
Other pasalubong that I bought from Lucban are the Apas, and Torones. During the Pahiyas Festival, stalls selling pasalubong and kakanin were set up on the sidewalks. Visitors have numerous shops to choose from. During the regular days, pasalubongs can be bought on shops located near the Lucban Church.
Pansit Habhab (a.k.a Pansit Lucban)
Not to be outdone by other towns, Lucban also has its own version of pansit, which is called as Pansit Habhab. I do not know where Pansit Habhab got its name. My best guess is that the name came from the way Pansit Habhab is eaten.
Uncooked Pansit Habhab.
Pansit Habhab is eaten without using any spoon or fork. It is eaten directly off the plate, as if you are a goat eating some grass.
When we are looking for a place to buy Pansit Habhab, we found a shop in Lucban’s new market that has a long queue of customers. This shop is Pert and Nellie Pancit Habhab Shop and I believe that they have the best Pansit Habhab in the area because of the many people lining up to buy some from them. Other food stalls beside the Pert and Nellie’s shop are almost devoid of any customers.
The long queue indicates that Pert and Nellie has the best Pansit Habhab.
Pansit Habhab from Pert and Nellie is 6 pesos per pack. This is not too expensive because one pack of Pansit Habhab is already enough for one person. Pert and Nellie will give you a plastic of vinegar to make your Pansit Habhab more delicious according to your taste.
A pack of pansit habhab is heavier than a pack of Luck Me!
Uncooked Pansit Habhab is also available at 40 pesos per pack. You could buy uncooked Pansit Habhab from shops selling pasalubong or at Eker and Ely, which is famous for its Lucban Longganisa.
This is the only Lucbanon delicacy that I failed to buy during the Pahiyas Festival. Lucban Longganisa is so famous that all stocks from every shops were bought by visitors of the Pahiyas Festival. My friend told me that Lucban Longganisa is quite delicious that Purefoods Company offered Lucban to buy the name and rights to Lucban Longganisa. Lucbanons rejected the offer because it forbids them to make Lucban Longganisa once Purefood bought the rights.
For the uninitiated, longganisa is a kind of sausage that is famous in the Philippines.
Lucban Longganisa
This is the only Lucbanon delicacy that I failed to buy during the Pahiyas Festival. Lucban Longganisa is so famous that all stocks from every shops were bought by visitors of the Pahiyas Festival. My friend told me that Lucban Longganisa is quite delicious that Purefoods Company offered Lucban to buy the name and rights to Lucban Longganisa. Lucbanons rejected the offer because it forbids them to make Lucban Longganisa once Purefood bought the rights.
For the uninitiated, longganisa is a kind of sausage that is famous in the Philippines.
Lucban Longganisa just hang outside most shops. (Photo from Lakwatsera Ako)
The best place to buy Lucban Longganisa is at Eker and Ely, which sells the sausage and pasalubong since 1958. Lucban Longganisa from this place is so good that there is still a long line of people buying there sausage the day after the Pahiyas Festival. If you really want to buy Lucban Longganisa from Eker and Ely, I suggest that you buy not during the Pahiyas Festival so that you could avoid the hassle of long lines.
Eker and Ely, home of great Lucban Longganisa.
The shop of Eker and Ely is located in the vicinity of the Lucban Church.
These are just three of the yummy food that I tasted while I was in Lucban. I'm sure that Lucban has more to offer so I will taste of Lucbanons' yummy food when I come back to their wonderful town.
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