Barquillos / Wafer Rolls

barq

So where does one buy the best tasting barquillos these days??? I purchased the ones photographed above at the departure lounge of the Mactan airport and they weren’t very good. They had no taste, they were too dry (though I suppose they must be dry) and crumbled into shards more than they should have. They were also rather massive which meant the packaging looked big but there was hardly anything in the box. I have absolutely no desire to make barquillos on my own despite the simple ingredients list primarily made up of flour, sugar, milk and flavoring such as vanilla or lemon essence. They simply bring back fond childhood memories of visiting my grandmother who would buy barquillos along with consilva (pinasugbu) by the can (and I mean a LARGE can) whenever we visited her for the Summer holidays. She also used to send cans of the stuff to Manila on special occasions …

The barquillos of my childhood were a little smaller and I almost always used to eat them with some ice cream. They were strong enough to plunge into soft ice cream and scoop it up to your mouth. They tasted perfect with vanilla or chocolate ice cream. I used to hold them like a cigar while other diners were having their cognac or after dinner drink and smoke. A cardinal sin at the dinner table was to crunch on a barquillo and blow out the crumbs…talk about getting reprimanded for “uncivilized” behavior… In the Philippines, barquillos central appears to be Iloilo, not surprising given their access to sugar and all things Iberian in nature. But no, they weren’t likely invented in Iloilo as there are examples of rolled thin wafer cookies in several ex-Spanish colonies around the world. Essentially a thin batter is poured onto a wafer iron (barquillera) and the wafer cooked to a light brown then immediately rolled while still hot. Once it cools, a crisp cylindrical cookie is formed. Our barquillos have evolved, with some vendors filling them with polvoron while others trying more local flavors (check out this brilliant photo of ube barquillos by yugatech)…if anyone knows where to get some really good barquillos in Manila – please leave me a comment! Thanks.

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32 Responses

  1. Wow, barquillos and ice cream! the perfect pair especially in the Summer. I’m partial to barquillos from Bacolod, probably because i’m from there! heheh. Whenever i go home to the City of Smile, my friends and officemates would always ask me to bring back boxes of the stuff.

    Nice site you have here, makes my mouth water from all the good foods featured here. Keep it coming, Marketman!

  2. I remember buying Barquillos from Iloilo made with goat’s milk. It was a bit whitish compared to the regular one’s and more crumbly, but creamier. They were being sold at the SM grocery and the grocery below Days Inn at the Atrium.

  3. Personally, I find Iloilo’s barquillos the best around the country. The really good ones are from Biscocho haus and Panaderia de Molo. If you love barquillos, you have to try Biscocho Haus’ barquiron (I’m not in any way related to the owners’ neither do I know them) which are the size of your pinky finger and has polvoron inside. What makes it more delicious is that their polvoron is mixed with ground cashew. I think now they come in a variety of flavors (pandan included). Very addictive and truly yummy. I buy boxes of them when I’m there to take back with me to Manila. They all go well with ice cream. Yum!

  4. Hi, Marketman! Man, I love barquillos like crazy. I agree with Christer. Biscocho Haus’ rocks. If you go to Polland Hopia in Binondo, they also sell super good cigarette-sized barquillos. Love to crumble it and put on top of ice cream! Good heavens. So good.

  5. MM, i buy the turrones de mani, casuy, langka (they come in a pack with assorted fillings), but they’re not good at all –i buy them out of habit, i guess, along with the maja real (some are as hard as porcelain tiles! when in mactan airport…. how about a feature on Bohol’s yummy broas and peanut kisses?

  6. i lived in Bacolod for a while and i’m partial to the Sugarlandia or Bongbongs brand. a likeminded favourite would be the biscocho from Iloilo which had a caramelized topping (unlike the plain toasted with butter and sugar type) i forgot the brand but it was not one of the mainstream ones.

  7. Does Biscocho Haus have an outlet in Manila, or do I have to wait for the annual Negros fair in Mega Mall? Millet, I do have earlier posts on broas from Bohol, please check the archives…haven’t done peanut kisses yet…

  8. Bacolod or Iloilo? It seems it’s a toss up between these two places. I go for Bacolod but Panaderia de Molo’s barquillos were what we’ve had since childhood.

  9. I’m from Bacolod. So I will be biased. The best barquillos for me is Totongs, the smaller mini ones. I like it better than Sugarlandia or BongBong’s although if you are for those large multi-layered ones, then sugarlandia is ok. Totong’s is thinner than the barquillos of old, crunchy and stays crunchy, doesn’t crumble when you eat it, just the right sweetness, a bit tostado. There used to be an Ilonggo Kitchen in Salcedo Market owned by a Negrense, Analou Celdran and maybe they sell this brand of barquillos there? I’m not too sure though.

  10. Just a stone’s throw away from the somewhat overrated Biscocho Haus in Jaro.Iloilo City is Deocampo’s Barquillos. This is the “institution” in Barquillos making. They have been rolling the stuff since 1898. There are unconfirmed rumors that BH source their barquillos and other pasalubong stuff from Deocampo’s.

    The perfect barquillos should be thin enough(not very thin) to create a crunch on the teeth but willingly melts in the mouth once you start chewing it.There should be enough “lunga”(sesame seeds) on the roll to give the palate a mild tease.

    Some barquillos makers intentionally make the roll thicker to withstand the rigors of packaging and transporting. Not good as far as I am concerned.

    Consider yourself lucky if you have experienced eating a warm barquillos just out of the iron.

  11. I love the small barquillos stuffed with polvoron! There are also some with Kasoy but I like the polvoron version better.

    For some strange reason, I find it goes very well with Coke. It’s one of those food combinations from my childhood that is forever imprinted in my memory bank I guess.

  12. hmm, reminds me of my favorite dessert as a kid: barquillos and mocha ice cream. Yup i’d pretend it was a cigar as well and blow out the crumbs. in fact i used to crush a couple of barquillos with my hands and dump the barquillo shards directly into the bowl of mocha ice cream– for what i considered the ultimate treat. Amazing what kids like to eat when they’re ten years old.

    And yes i do have fond memories of the big round barquillos can from iloilo, where my grandmother is from.

  13. funny i remember my mom asking the maid to get the barquillos, the maid got the hammer (martilyo) instead!!! hahaha :)

  14. Hello MM!!! Hello to All!!!
    This is my first post…
    I just can’t resist the urge to let you know that there is this small town in Bulacan who makes one of the best (if not the best) barquillos!!!

    Together with Barquillos they sell Minasa (sort of puto seko but yummier as it is creamier) and Lengua de Gato!!!

    They sell it in plastic cylindrical containers/bottles.
    They are so delicious you wouldn’t even notice you’ve finished one set already…
    During fiestas, for buko-lychee flavored sorbet, we buy cans (used big big big cans of biscuits) of it…

    I work in Makati and it would be an honor to buy you guys some…

    By the way, the small town I’m talking about… it’s Bustos.
    Bustos is to Barquillos/Minasa/Lengua de Gato as Pastillas is to San Miguel (in Bulacan)!!!

    Have a nice day!!!

  15. Biscocho Haus is not famous for their barquillos; they’re realy known for their biscocho (obviously!) and their yummy butterscotch. As far as I know, they don’t have a branch in Manila.
    The barquillos made from goat’s milk is produced and sold by Espanola Grocery located along Iznart Street in Iloilo City. Their barquillos goes very well with ice cream…

  16. liza, i hope to someday try the barquillos made from goat’s milk from the Española Grocery.
    Angelo, I forgot about deOcampo. They do make good pasalubong goodies, barquillos and barquiron included. Cheaper than biscocho haus, too.
    Btw, when I’m in Iloilo, I order butterscotch from the people who makes them for Biscocho haus (so they say). Way cheaper … fresh from the stove, too.

  17. Thanks for all those tips everyone. Twisted_mab welcome to the comments section and thank you for those insights and kind offer to ply us with the best Bulacan has to offer!

  18. I’m from Bacolod, so from there the best barquillos must be from Sugarlandia. It’s small, firm and has a sesame flavor to it. Better yet are their Barqueron (polvoron stuffed barquillos). MMMM…. I still remember Sugarlandia’s Galletas.. those thin circular pastries that we used to play as the priest’s host during my childhood….. or the hojaldres or even the glaze topped bañadas….. memories…

    Mr. Marketman, do you have plans in the future to feature stuff from Bacolod? I mean Piaya, Napleones (btw, SM Megamall 1st/2nd fl? has a stand of Rolis’ Napoleones- the only one in Manila!), Guapple Pia (of Silay), or even inasal.

  19. hey guyzzzz…. its so dlicious to eat…any one of you knows the ingredient it…???? and the procedure of how to cook for it..or the procedure of it…please send me in my e-mail add:::
    jdmjeck33@yahoo.com
    I want to try to make it at home….
    thanks…

  20. hi everyone,

    speaking of barquillos, there is only place for me, not panadera de molo or biscocho house but the one and only Espanola Grocery. I know they still make the best barquillos. I miss eating them.

  21. hi we live in manila, where can we buy the delicious bacolod barquillos ? yan yung nakalagay sa lata di ba ?

  22. karen, I tend to buy my supply during the Negros fair held later in the year usually at a mall (last year Rockwell I think). But there must be stores like Blue Kitchen or other pinoy delicacies stores that carry it during the rest of the year…

  23. I came from Bacolod, our family is originally from the city of smiles. I can tell 101% that the best pasalubong store is “Sugarlandia Barquillos”…from my parents, grandparents…friends…relatives everything they have in hand whenever they come and visit us here in USA are boxes full of Sugarlandia products. Those creamy and melt in your mouth barquillos really taste sooo great. One thing we’ve known for sure that Suagrlandia is the original when it comes to barquillos and piaya and nowadays there are lots of rivalry, but that’s what business goes anyways. Some american friends really love Sugarndia’s barquillos and oh i almost forgot the meringue, pinasugbo and hopia mongo…that one does taste better than any other. Im excited going back home to Bacolod for holidays…and i missed those foods…yummy!

  24. Hi MM!

    I have tasked myself to search for the best barquillos in Iloilo. Walang magawa. Hindi naman. I love barquillos e.

    There’s a picture of Deocampo’s barquillos in https://iloveiloilo.com. It is the most popular so far, along with Biscocho Haus’, although I too, do think that it’s just sub-con. BH just commissions somebody to make it for them.

    Anyway, aside from Deocampo’s Barquillos, your readers should also try out Panaderia de Molo’s barquillos. I find them creamier (having more milk in them) and it has sesame seeds, closer to my idea of the traditional barquillos.

    There’s also Rosy’s Barquillos. Rosy’s carrier product is actually pinasugbo but their barquillos are also distinct being the slimmest of all.

    There’s also the “no-name” barquillos consigned by home-based barquillos makers to sari-sari stores. Much cheaper (like 5 thick rolls for only 10 pesos) yet one can find yummy versions too.

    Ah, not to forget the single roll barquillos sold by ambulant vendors who also sell balloons at the same time. You can find them usually during fiestas.

    True to what your readers above say, the Sugarlandia barquillos is also delicious. I wish they’d be more visible, hope a renaissance is coming soon. There’s also the more popular now, Bong-bong’s which I find relatively ok.

    I almost forgot, there is Sussanah’s who sort of popularized goat’s milk barquillos after which they also introduced pandan barquillos, ube barquillos.

    More power MM!

  25. ui,,,i like barquillos tooo,, actually i made it as a research study,,but im still searching for a perfect taste of barquillos that truly satsfies me,,, where will i find it,,

  26. my mom got me sum panderia de molo barquillos. the packages contain 4 large barquillos but the wrapper says 5 hehehehe

  27. owww…..we own panaderia de molo…its actually a family business passed down to generations to generations….when my mom started selling in decos…the goats milk barquillos is mabakal…and mostly who buys them is chinese…

  28. Barquillos filled with polvoron is, well, barquiron. But the “essence” of barquillos is lost since the one used a “tube” is much harder to better “host” the polvoron.

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