In Search of the Perfect Polvoron

Written by Maxine Lim

Photographs by Maxine Lim

     Everyone has that one special thing that ties them to a certain place. Philippines for me is Polvoron. So what exactly is Polvoron?

Polvoron 101 
     A local delicacy and popular childhood treat, Polvoron is everything that a comfort food should for someone with a sweet tooth. Polvoron (or Pulburon in Tagalog) is a powery, heavy milk shortbread and its origins in the Philippines can be traced back to the Spanish, where it is commonly found in Andalusia.

    My love affair with Polvoron started in 2007, during the Monash University study trip to Baguio and Sagada where I chanced upon Goldilocks, the famous bakeshop/restaurant there and bought my first piece of the buttery, sugary goodness. Six years on, a trip to the Philippines as an Alumni student presented a chance to rediscover this local delicacy.

   Such is life, that when you put your mind and thoughts on a particular subject, you start seeing it everywhere. Manila, Boracay and Iloilo 2013 – I was Charlie in a veritable Polvoron factory.

My quest to find Polvoron begins here.

First Polvoron encounter: Manila 

   SM Mall. Mall of Asia. It is so big, there’s even a church inside (which is gorgeous). Only fitting that I found my first Polvoron in their Goldilocks shop! Upon entering, locals seemed more interested in the restaurant section but I made a beeline for the bakeshop area. Peanut, Pinipig (beaten young rice, tastes like rice crispies), Cashew, Coffee, Cookies and Cream (and of course, the Classic flavour). Perfection. I was broke already. Biggest success was getting fellow Alumni friends curious enough to buy it.

Second Polvoron encounter: Bread and Butter shop, Boracay 

     Enter the open-concept D’Mall shopping area and I bumped into a bakery, Bread and Butter. Lo and behold, my first encounter with a non-Goldilocks Polvoron! More buttery and nutty, it only came in one flavour, but it was enough. As memorable as the soft sands of White Beach. 

Third Polvoron encounter: Rest stop en route to Iloilo 

    En route from Caticlan to Boracay, we made a break in our 5 hour van-ride. Strategically located nearby the comfort room (toilet) was a vendor selling local snacks and… Polvoron! The Polvoron from St. Peter Delicacy, Ibajay, Aklan tasted floury and simple. Not your usual sweet or buttery fare. 

Fourth Polvoron encounter: Iloilo 

    Another find in an SM Mall – this time in Robinsons Mall in Iloilo. Proudly displayed on the counter in the bakery section, the sales assistant looked on bemused as I snapped a picture of brightly-wrapped Polvoron in a biscuit jar. Taste, unfortunately, was uninspiring. 

Last Polvoron encounter: Manila airport

     At the end of my journey, I was weighed down with at least 3kg worth of Polvoron in my hand-carry luggage. As I scanned my bag past the final immigration checkpoint, I was halted by a stern-looking officer. “Please open your bag,” she said. Oh God, I thought, as I zipped my bag open.What now? Did I forget to check in my coconut wine? She rummaged through my bag and pulled out a box of Peanut Polvoron from Goldilocks. Then her faced broke into a grin. “Do you like Polvoron?” she asked me with a smile. “Love it. Can’t find this in Malaysia,” I replied. I was waved off free.

     In 2013, Polvoron to meis the grin from the Immigration Officer, the bemused smile from the SM Robinsons Mall sales assistant, and the delight of a Balikbayan* restaurant worker in KL seeing me pull out the orange wrapper – Classic Polvoron from Goldilocks. It means something different to each of us, but we are united in our mutual appreciation of Polvoron – of the Philippines.

*Balikbayan - An Overseas Filipino, a person of Philippine origin who lives outside of the Philippines. (Wikipedia)

Blogger profile
Maxine is joining the roll call In Search of Iloilo, 2013. As I write this, we are (were) on the brink of the end of the world as we know it, possibly a zombie apocalypse. So it is only fitting, that in light that the Mayans are proved wrong and we continue to soldier on to 2013, for us to kick start the new year in search of an adventure - this time to Iloilo, Philippines.

Four years on as a Monash alumni, I realise that Gandalf in The Hobbit (with some artistic license from Peter Jackson) was right. The world isn't to be found in our books or maps, it's out there!

It is never too late to brush off our hairy feet and climb out of our Hobbit-hole "in search of" a world out there- bigger and more colourful than the home we are accustomed to.