Things You Should Buy When Visiting Baguio

Here’s an overdue post to conclude my recent trip to Baguio. I really had a blast exploring the City of Pines and I will make sure that this is not going to be the last. Hopefully, i will get a chance to attend the Panagbenga Festival next year especially now that I know all the do’s and don’ts when traveling to Baguio. Anyway, here are random photos taken from my trips. This is just a simple list of things you must try and buy when visiting Baguio City!
1. Sweet Baguio Delicacies and Good Shepherd Ube and Strawberry Jam – I learned that the best place where you can buy pasalubong (souvenirs) is the Mines View Park. You’ll find an overwhelming amount of stores selling wide range of special delicacies from sweet Pili nuts to special cookies and peanut brittle. Aside from giving you a huge selection of goodies, these items can be afforded in such low price too! If there is one pasalubong that you should not miss, it is the famous Good Shepherd’s Ube Jam. Good Shepherd is basically a convent located in Mines View Park and is known for their famous souvenir shop that caters various goodies including their well known Ube Jams and more.
2. Sundot Kulangot – “Picked Booger”, if literally translated in English. This goodies in Baguio is quite nostalgic and those kids who grew up in 90s are very much aware of this treat. It may sound disgusting but this  local kalamay made from brown sugar and sticky rice is packed inside split round wooden shells that is rejoined by a red tape is definitely a great snack. It is the smallest known traditional packaging of Kalamay. They are sold in bundles, several of these kalamay balls are nestled inside split bamboo and tied with a string. much like the image above. 3. Baguio Brooms – Another thing that you should not miss in Baguio is their famous “walis tambo”. These brooms come with woven or wooden handles that usually bear the name “Baguio City.” They are known for their great and long lasting quality (in fact, you can even see a bunch of imitations here in Manila). If only our van is spacious enough, i could have buy a pair of this broom too!4. Native Baskets – These are more commonly known as the Pasiking. These are basically indigenous basket-backpack found among the various ethno-linguistic groups of Northern Luzon in the Philippines. Pasiking designs may have sacred allusions, although many are purely aesthetic. I saw a bunch of them durin my visit to Cordillera World Museum and they are made in various sizes and finished with either a natural or dark color. This may not be the kind of bag you would carry on a daily basis but it is truly worth buying!5. Penis Ashtray and Barrel Man – Aside from their wonderful handicrafts, Baguio is also known for being one of the great sources of impressive wood carvings much like those tall Igorot statues in Cordillera Museum. Speaking of wood carvings, there is no better pasalubong to buy than their naughty ashtrays depicting men’s genital. They also come in various sizes. Baguio is also known for the Barrel man. As what the term suggests, it is a wood carving that depicts a man covered in huge barrel. The barrel can be removed and the man’s over-sized genital will be revealed.6. Key chains and Fridge Magnets – Possibly the most practical and most affordable souvenirs you can buy in Baguio. You can see them almost everywhere even in Wright Park! Each key chain is worth Php10 but you will get big discounts if you buy 5 or ten pieces. Same thing goes with the fridge magnets. If you are lucky enough, you can also ask them to print names onto it. A perfect pasalubon for friends indeed!7. Fresh Veggies – Baguio and La Trinidad are two perfect place to buy freshly harvested vegetables! I was shocked to see their prices too! Compare to their prices here in Manila, the ones you can buy in Baguio are way too surprising. It is very interesting to note that the Cordillera Region supplies the Philippines’ daily requirements for highland vegetables from lettuce, carrots, bell peppers, potatoes, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, mushrooms, chinese eggplant, zucchini and a whole lot more. I bought a bag of lettuce for just Php50.Since I am the only one at home who ate lettuce, I had to find ways to consume them! I don’t know much about cooking but good thing my brother came up with this brilliant idea to put them on burgers! Our friendly hamster benefited from it too!8. Strawberries – I guess Baguio trip will not be completed without packing your bag with their freshly harvested strawberries. Much like the veggies, you can buy these strawberries in such very affordable price. Aside from the strawberries, i spotted some fresh fruits too like the Sagada Oranges, rambutan, lansones and more. My sister put all those strawberries in handy by making this yummy frozen strawberry cake9. Flowers and Plants – If you got enough space for your car, then you should not miss buying their cute potted plants. You can find a wide variety of cactus almost everywhere! I saw a bunch in Mines View Park too! Cut-flowers such as roses,  chrysanthe- mums, marigolds, daisies, anthuriums, Malaysian mums, plus longer lasting varieties such as everlasting and statis are sold at the market. Exotic orchids, hyacinths, tulips, petunias and also make their appearance at the orchida-rium.
10. Strawberry Ice Cream – Whether you are in a budget or not, Strawberry Ice cream is definitely something you should consider on your list of things to buy in Baguio. This is not your typical commercial ice cream because this one are packed with fresh strawberries!11. Strawberry Taho – A trip to Baguio will not be completed without trying their very own Strawberry Taho. What really makes it special? Well, unlike the typical Taho being sold by vendors in your city every morning, this taho is mixed with strawberry jam with real strawberry chunks for you to indulged!

Check Out the rest of my Baguio Trip entries here

Panagbenga Festival Grand Float Parade │ Wright Park and The Mansion│Mines View Park│Cordillera World│Strawberry Farm│Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto │What To Buy In Baguio