“Man cannot live by bread alone; he must have peanut butter.” - James A. Garfield
James Garfield may want some peanut butter on his bread, but if he gets to taste a malunggay pandesal he may not want to look for anything else to put on the bread. The pandesal is an airy, soft flour roll that can be considered as one of the national dishes in the Philippines.
James Garfield may want some peanut butter on his bread, but if he gets to taste a malunggay pandesal he may not want to look for anything else to put on the bread. The pandesal is an airy, soft flour roll that can be considered as one of the national dishes in the Philippines.
Pandesal – image source: commons.wikimedia.org
It is eaten by people of all walks of life, be it those living in high-end subdivisions and condominiums or those just earning enough to get by for the day. It has become a familiar fixture on the breakfast table of nearly all Filipinos around the country. In fact, some consider the pandesal as the “pambansang pang-almusal” or the national breakfast food, albeit unofficially.
Pandesal – image source: entrepreneur.com
The origin of the pandesal remains uncertain since the people in the archipelago were primarily rice-eaters before the coming of the Portuguese in the 1500s. Many Filipino historians are in agreement that Portuguese explorers introduced the first wheat-based bread during that time. However, the popularity of wheat-based bread increased during the time of the Americans when American wheat cost less compared to rice.
Pandesal – image source: burpple.com
Fast-forward to the present time, the pandesal is already a part of the daily morning habit of Cebuanos, and Filipinos in general, around the country. Bakeries typically have freshly-baked pandesal ready for its customers early in the morning. It is best paired with cheese, mayonnaise & egg or ham & bacon spread over a piping hot cup of sikwate from Argao.
Pandesal – image source: flickr.com
But, this ever-present breakfast staple was given a new twist with the use of a simple yet nutritious vegetable commonly used for soup, the malunggay or horse raddish. The Malunggay Pandesal is the main offering of Budong Malunggay Pandesal, which was initially established in 2012. The malunggay pandesal is made by combining malunggay pulp into the dough before it is cooked into the pandesal. The malunggay in the mixture gives out a green fragrance that enhances the already aromatic smell of the bread. Aside from its sweet fragrance, the malunggay pandesal also offers a number of health benefits to anyone eating it. The delectable taste of this unique type of pandesal has people queuing at the store just about every single day.
Budong Malunggay Pandesal – image source: Budong Malunggay Pandesal Facebook Page
The Budong Malunggay Pandesal is available in a number of branches of the store, including Canduman, along M.C Briones St., and A.S Fortuna St. in Mandaue Street. This nutritious breakfast staple can also be bought in Talamban, Cebu City; Consolacion; and Gun-ob, Lapu-Lapu City.
Budong Malunggay Pandesal – image source: Budong Malunggay Pandesal Facebook Page
Have you tasted the Budong Malunggay Pandesal already? Tell us about it on the comments section below.
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