Pastel (yema-filled buns)

Location: Camiguin, Misamis Oriental

Through the course of my work, I have been exposed to various local delicacies. But there are only a few that has that "agawan" factor (meaning, people beg to get more). There's the delectable silavanas from Nueva Ecija (w/c I featured in my personal blog) and of course, the yummy Pastel or yema-filled buns from Camiguin.

From myfreshcrumbs.com

The idea behind Pastel is quite simple. It's basically a piece of bread with yema/custard fillings. And it's soft, sweet and yummy. We can't get enough of it. Only Vjandep makes it like that. I don't even know if there's Pastel elsewhere (ones that are not made by Vjandep).

According to Allvoices.com, "For decades, pastel has been a traditional delicacy served at fiestas and other special occasions. Eleanor Jose, one of the descendants of the Bollozos family, saw its marketing potential." VjANDEP means "VJ"-Virgilio Jose, "AND" "EP"-Eleanor Popera. Meanwhile, pastel is a Spanish term for cake. According to their Facebook page, "Eleanor Popera Jose, a true blooded Camiguingnon, was the first to commercialize PASTEL on January 8, 1990 from what was left of her husband’s Christmas bonus. It was just simply a hobby at first, until Ella saw a great potential in the product, thus, she continued producing PASTEL up to this date."