Lost in innovation

Innovation is good as it challenges the creativity of man. Unfortunately, there are a few traditional things that get lost in the course of innovation. Foodwise, we marvel at the ability of chefs and suppliers to keep up with the times. Sadly, there are some things that have completely changed and while we enjoy the new items, we often miss those that we grew up with.

Among the products most innovated is the ensaymada. What we find today in the market are all good and each is unique in taste and flavor, but where is the old, swirled bread that was a regular on our tables for breakfast or merienda, with a steaming cup of tsokolate? Although some provincial bakers and one seller at Market!Market! still have this, today’s ensaymada has taken a new form, texture and flavor. No longer is it a simple swirl of bread with croissant-like texture, topped with a small pat of margarine or butter, a sprinkling of sugar and grated queso de bola. In its evolution, ensaymada has become a cross between cake and bread, has morphed into various shapes and now comes in a variety of fillings and flavors. We are not complaining – we are simply missing the good old ensaymada.

Years ago, a home baker in San Juan injected the ensaymada with ube. That made the bread more chewy. It was a great and much welcome treat, considering we love yam. The innovators have since closed shopped, but a lot followed. Our brother’s secret supplier is a housewife, Mrs. Cunanan, whose version is no longer in swirling form but shaped like an ordinary roll, generously spread with real queso de bola. He has eventually found another lady doing the Jumbo, the nearest to the traditional, in fact in a recent family ensaymada encounter, this one came out as the most authentic. Then there is Mary Grace, US-trained, who started with a small operation in her home and gradually expanded to stand-alone kiosks and now to cafés. This innovator seems to have a deep reservoire of ideas, infusing the bread with some unlikely combinations. In the cafés (one in Serendra and another at the Alabang Town Center), Mary Grace has a selection with a twist. The “twisted” line up consists of sweet with cinnamon and apple, P94; banana choco, P102; caramel and cashew, P99; three cheese (cheddar, edam and kesong puti), P157; and Laguna, P155. Then there is Soft and Chewy, which is how a housewife in Alabang Hills describes her collection. We particularly like the ube variant, filled with real jalea. Hotel bake shops and membership club patisseries have not ignored the ensaymada market, each has its own version, the most extensive being at Bellevue in West Gate, Muntinlupa City. Can you imagine it with mango filling? Well, this hotel has it. Pick the ensaymada of your choice, you won’t go wrong.

“Listen to your bones” is the exultation of a wellness group which hosted a recent launch-lunch. If they are cracking, pay attention, if not (yet), do preventive actions. There’s an alarming statement that by 2050, 50 percent of the world’s fracture incidences are largely due to osteoporosis, a condition that has already alarmed more than a few women. This results from low bone density. October is osteoporosis prevention month. The period was highlighted by the launch hosted by the Osteoporosis Society Foundation of the Philippines (OSPFI) and the makers and distributors of Anlene, a low fat, high calcium milk containing bone nutrients Vitamin D, magnesium and zinc. Apparently they have gone a step further when they formulated the product with increased calcium content, an essential for strengthening bones. Fear of the after-effects of lactose intolerance has prevented some from taking the daily requirement of milk (two glasses), but the Anlene medical paper recommends drinking in small doses, like a fourth of glass at a time, until the intolerance is diminished.

It’s nearly October, which signals that December is very near. Time flies so fast. You must start planning your food needs, including what to serve during family gatherings and/or what to give as presents. Stock up on the basics – chorizo bilbao, canned ingredients like mushrooms and olives (green and black), olive oil, sauces, herbs, spices, seasonings, even meat (if there’s a freezer in the house). Turkey should now be available in various supermarkets, ham balls should start appearing in coolers and queso de bola should be available very soon. Be ready, it is never too early to prepare.

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