It was our last day in Tadian, a municipality in Mountain Province, located 6 hours away by bus from Baguio City. After shopping for souvenirs and tasting local treats at the Agro-Industrial fair, my friend and I bid goodbyes to our host, the amiable tourism officer Ms. Lynber Miclat. She had graciously took us in her home for the Ayyoweng di Lambak ed Tadian Festival. It's a thanksgiving celebration held in March where the barangays of Tadian converge and perform dances and hold various activities.
We still had a couple of hours to burn before the 12 noon bus ride back to Baguio so we decided to walk around town. Though the temperature around Tadian is relatively cold, the sun was high, I was mildly sweating and feeling tired from wandering around. We found ourselves craving for some snacks before the long commute.
From across the public market, we chanced on Family Bakeshop & Cafe. It's a small bakeshop with 2-3 tables. Here you can order brewed coffee, pancit and tadaaa - bread.
I had just ordered brewed coffee and pancit at the counter when one of the ladies brought out a heaping tray of bread fresh from the oven. I was instantly hypnotized. The bread was shaped like a hotdog - long and barely 1.5 inches wide. I stood marveling at it for a couple of seconds and without much thought, I had ordered a piece.
The next events were a haze. I remember sitting at a stool with our pancit and coffee. I recall biting into the bread. The dough was still warm and very soft. Its taste was close to a glazed donut. I devoured it in seconds. Then I ordered again, and then ordered some more.
"Ano pong tawag dito?" (What's the name of this bread?)
"Long john." , the lady answered.
As I was still in a delirious state from consuming this delicious bread, my head couldn't comprehend the syllables.
"Huh?" "Long john." , the lady repeated.
"Long john.", like a dazed damsel, I repeated.
Only 5 Pesos a piece and I my senses were treated to indulgence.
Normally glazed with sugar, long johns are best consumed when fresh from the oven. Being a fan of bread, this is the first time I've seen a local bakeshop made this thinly and deliciously.
In the US, long john donuts are thicker and wider and sometimes filled with other ingredients such as custard or chocolate.
For travel information on Tadian, please visit my other post - Munching Around Tadian.