Pandesal Partners The Pinoy Style

Pandesal is the most popular yeast-raised bread in the Philippines. Individual loaves are shaped like garrison caps due to its unique method of forming. The dough is rolled into long logs (bastón) which are rolled in fine bread crumbs. These are then cut into portions with a dull dough cutter, are allowed to rise on sheet pans and baked. Wikipedia

Aside from fried rice, this is every Filipino's staple food for breakfast and for merienda (snack). It can be eaten plain with a hot cup of coffee, while my great grandmother enjoyed it with low-fat butter and a dash of sugar. In the Philippines, pandesal is paired with several other food I'm sure you've tried in the past. It is best paired with:

Dirty ice cream from the bell-totting vendors who roam around the residential streets usually with chocolate, cheese and ube flavors in their carts. They offer their merchandise with cones, cups and the famous buns or pandesal.

Pansit canton or noodles with pandesal especially when newly cooked is to die-for! This was one of my favorite comfort food when I wasn't so conscious of what I put in my mouth. We are well-informed that this is loaded with MSG but the satisfaction I get from eating it until this day in moderation is truly my simple pleasure!

For the sweet tooth Pinoys, peanut butter and jams like orange marmalade or strawberry and even coco jam (which I sometimes ate plain when I was a kid) is best paired with pandesal especially if toasted. These are also easy food preparations for your school-aged children to give them the energy they need while studying.

The all-tender and juicy corned beef goes well too with pandesal. We recycle this dish if there are leftovers for merienda and a very cold soda that will certainly compel me to continue working for many more hours!

Do you eat your pandesal the way I do?
What do you pair it with?

Pictures from meiishee, Lucky Me!, Yahoo! She and jin