Bulusan breads and its unusual and sometimes funny names

pan de-idlit

pan de bomba

pan de sal

pan legazpi

Have you ever wonder about the origin of the names of the local breads from Bulusan? Names like ‘pan de idlit’, ‘pagong’, pan de agua,pan de bomba and many inventive names. The names are still very much around to this day despite the influx of grocery supplied bread.

Other names include pan legazpi, pan de coco, pan de sal, ensemada, monay, and dozens more assorted items not to mention the turutalinga, galletas, tahada another group of items made as coffee partner oftentimes used as 'pasopas' during santa cruzan and 'katapusan' (Check out Pamughaton discussed these occasions with interesting details).

Baking bread is not an easy task. In addition to the fact that  it is an exact science unlike other cooking chores where one can make 'tantiya' (approximates), baking is either you got it right or wrong. No middle grounds. It is either ruined or done good, better or excellent. 

After dabbling for a short period with baking, I realized now that the practice of giving funny names to the Bulusanon breads is a way of making light of the circumstances and hard life of panaderia operations. Making light moments to a tough job of baking bread inside a local panaderia and putting some humor to a backbreaking job of baking is so Bulusanon. Even today,  passing by a panaderia with its display of assorted local breads always make me smile.

So next time you pass by a local panaderia, discover pan de idlit!

Photos from pamughaton.net archives
Bulusan, Sorsogon, Philippines