Local Treats in Cebu - Philippines

Cebu is not just a place where people can have a beach vacation. It is also a place to experience a different culture from the people in Manila. Cebuanos have different dishes as well as sweets. Most cebuanos prepare these sweets to be eaten during the snacks which are food you take in between meals. The five sweets you should try while you are in Cebu are the following:

Otap

A famous brand for otap that many tourists buy is Shamrock otap. Otap is actually cookies shaped in an oval made from sugar, flourm some shortening and some coconut. It has sugar on top. It is a fragile and soft cookie so eating this can be a challenge for both kids and adults but you should just set aside some crumbs that fall on the floor and enjoy it. Using both hands when eating otap is helpful.

Dried Mangoes

This is a treat you can buy for you and for your family and friends. It is something very sweet yet very healthy too. Cebu has several factories making this treat. The region is known for them and they export it to other countries as well. Cebu produces sweet mangoes almost throughout the year. The process to make dried mangoes is to dry them up while they are ripe. They offer these sweets in sizes which you can easily bite. There are big packages as well as small ones which you can bring anywhere you go. Most groceries all over the Philippines carry dried mangoes however it is cheaper in Cebu.

Rosquillos

Many cebuanos consider rosquillos from Liloan particularly made by Titays the best. This treat takes the shape of a small donut with a hole in the middle. Rosquillos are very soft cookis which can melt when you eat them. Many adults like these biscuits and recently the company celebrated one hundred years in operation. Rosquillos are made from shortening, eggs, flour, some shortening and baking powder and sugar. They never have added any preservatives. The person who established Titays is Margarita Frasco in 1907 whose nickname was Titay. Liloan the town where she established her bakery hails her as a legend. Before the biscuits are sold in tins so that they could last longer. Today you can find them sold in smaller packages in plastic and they can be bought in groceries all over the Philippines.

Budbud

Budbud is a Cebuano breakfast treat. It is made from glutinous rice that is mixed with sugar and some coconut milk then it gets wrapped in banana leaf. It is cooked by steaming. You can buy them in many local markets. You uncover the wrapping and dip them in sugar with your hot drink like coffee or hot chocolate.

Street Treats

Ampao is another Cebuano treat made from frying rice complimented with some peanuts and sugar. Another variation of this is the delicacy called Tagaktak. Tagaktak is made from the same ingredients. Many Cebuanos also enjoy piniato. Piniato is a sweet treat made from peanuts that has been caramelized with sugar then roasted. Pinasugbo on the other hand is another sweet treat that you can buy in many groceries. It is made from bananas covered with sugar then fried.