Nothing stirs more nostalgic memories than the aroma of a small town bakery at dawn (sometimes with the stars yet) when the freshly baked loaves are shoveled out of the wood fire oven. Pan de Sal, once upon a time it was kingly size, with hard crust and cracked top. Only the alternative to it were the breads called Pan De Limon and Pan de Leche, all seemingly synonyms for the bread with ridges on top, like two halves joined together. The large delicious soft bread was the Pan de Mongja or "Nun's bread," whose name through the tears evolved into a racier monay, slang for the female private part. All were good for dunking in hot chocolate*, or eating with a sliver of keso de bola (Edam from Holland) or hamon de punda ( Chinese ham similar to the Smithsfield of Virginia).
The Pan de Sal that one can get nowadays are not the kind that I grew to love then. Today, I can't reconcile myself to call them Pan De Sal. I facetiously call them "Pan De Sweet." The real one has a hint of saltiness and like I said above, they have a crusty top like a French bread. Today, the bakers buy the pre-mixed flour that all they have to add is water...and they used the ready mixed flour for almost every thing , like the Pan De leche, Dinner rolls, etc. They don't have the salty taste, but sweet.
By mid morning the bakery converted the stale cakes into mamon tostado, sweet toasted slices beloved by children. With the addition of margarine and sugar, old Pan Amercano (loaf bread) was re-baked and become biscocho. Biscocho Pricipe, in turn, was nothing but re-baked monay slices. Ensaymada, like the croissants only the are in the rounds and smoothered with butter or margarine and dusted with sugar was part of the bakery repertoire as the pianono or jellyrolls.
Food style changes with life styles at times, and in the slower, lazier days of biscuits* had a role in the Philippine life. It was for the people who had the time to nibble and savor it, with a cup of hot chocolate, coffee or tea as part of the ritual merienda. The lost of popularity shows in the diminished numbers of biscuits jars in todays bakeries. In the old days there was quite an assortment of biscuits: the ever-present round, powdery galletas, the square galletas de patatas with upturned corners, the round aglipay which was light brown, somewhat dry but flaky, araro a powdery concoction made from the arrow root flour, the coin size sweet pacencia a biscuit named after a virtue (patience). For the kids there is a long crisp scalloped, round at both ends called margarita or masa flora. They sell for two for one centavo, equivalent to two cents those days. Toady, fast food eateries abound Manila. Every shopping malls have there signature food courts where one can satisfy his gustatory pleasures. All the "biscuits" are sold in packs wrapped with cellophanes. Yes, gone are the square jars that houses my chilhood delights.
In the afternoon, when the bread peddlers returned with unsold breads the recycling contained, nothing went to waste. There was always a tray of buding, (bread pudding) in the bakery that could be bought by the slice. The best buy for one's money was the machacao, which was a mixture of all two days old bread - cut in cubes pan de sal, monays, pan de leche sometimes even bits of ensaymada. They are all dumped in large baking trays pushed into the oven and toasted. I can call this the Filipino biscotti. They will reappeared in a large Kaing. a deep open basket and were sold five centavo a big bag. From here too came the bread crumbs for thickening the lechon sauce, for the pochero and other dishes that calls to be thickened. Anything still stubbornly unsold was converted into vile pastries with bright pink or purple fillings, their last stand and ultimate disguise...ugh!
* biscuits - anything that resembled a cookie type baked breads are called biscuits in the Philippines during my time. I am sure that to these days anything like cookies in the tins in England are called biscuits
*hot chocolate - my maternal grandfather prepares the chocolate akin to the Mexican that I have seen today. the chocolate come from the local market in big tablet forms or from the backyard cacao tree. It will be grated while the water is boiling...with a special elongated enameled pot the grated chocolate and boiling water will be beaten with a batidor, a slender wooden pole with a serated head. With both hands, the pole will be between the palms and roll it back and forth rythmically until the mixture is foamy... then to the cups.
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