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Baler Escapade : Things You Should Buy When Visiting Baler

February 2, 2017 adminbdmc 0 Comments baler, baler escapade, baler handicrafts, baler keychain, baler lambanog, baler suman, escapade, featured, lambanog, pakumbo, pakumbo aurora, pakumbo baler, red suman, suman de baler, things you should buy in baler, travel, visiting baler, what to buy in baler

IMG_0815t Finally, here’s the entry to conclude my Baler Escapade series. After the Caunayan falls, we decided to end our tour and head back to Manila. Before doing so, we had a quick stop over in a Pasalubong and Antique Store somewhere in Aurora. Of course, a tour will never be completed without buying souvenirs. Now, i’m listing down things that you should never miss when visiting Baler.

“Pakumbo”
IMG_0824t Pakumbo is more like the Bukayo’s version of Aurora. They both tastes the same but one thing that makes Pakumbo more distinctive is the size of the coconut strips. The strips are notably larger than the regular strips used for Bukayo (a sweet cocounte delicacy originated in Lingayen, Pangasinan). Pakumbo is a sweet delicacy prepared by simmering strips of young coconut meat in coconut water, brown sugar, vanilla and pandan leaves. These are then cooked for four hours.
IMG_0570t There’s two types of Pakumbo, the one made with Brown Sugar and the other one is made from white.

“Suman De Baler”
IMG_0586t I guess the picture is good enough to tell the difference of Baler’s suman compare to the typical ones or even those in Antipolo. Suman is glutinous rice cooked in coconut milk and wrapped in buri palm leaves. Its preparation and cooking time are shorter than the pakumbo. The most notable thing you’ll notice with their suman is the red-ish or sometime purple-ish color. Aside from Coconut products, Aurora is also known for their “Pinawa” or brown rice and this is where Suman De Baler were made of! The suman is sweet enough and you don’t need to dip it into sugar to enjoy it. IMG_0583T The Suman de Baler much like in Antipolo can be bought in bundles.

“Baler’s Lambanog”
IMG_0809t Aurora is not just the surfing capital of the Philippines but is also starting to claim as the Coconut Capital in Luzon. Knowing that coconut is one of the well known products of Aurora, it is not really surprising to see a bunch of coconut-related products. Lambanog is wine made from coconut and is mostly produced in the Quezon Province. Interestingly, it also comes in different flavors such as cherry, jack fruit, apple, orange, four seasons, strawberry, bubble gum, mint, etc.

“Baler’s Handicrafts and Keychains”
IMG_0821t In case you are in a tight budget like me hahaha and looking for pasalubong, then you might consider buying Baler’s colorful handicrafts. You can spot so many stores in Baler’s Town Plaza (Check : Baler’s Town Plaza) showcasing various handicrafts from wallets (made from coconut leaves) to keychains. You can buy wallets for as low as Php35 each while Keychain is worth Php10-15. You can also check That Sweet Gift as they feature wide collection of gift ideas for your love ones, family, friends and even for your boss!