Pan De Sal is part of traditional Filipino Breakfast. It is usually eaten in the early part of the morning with coffee or very dark hot chocolate drink. Most Filipinos dunk their Pan de sal bread in coffee or hot chocolate drink before biting a mouthful. I still catch myself doing either. Pan de sal may be consumed for breakfast with coffee alone or other breakfast food such as fried rice, scrambled eggs, fried vinegar cured baby milkfish and fresh fruits.
It is best to eat Pan de sal bread in very early morning around 4 am. to 5 am. because it is still fresh and warm and just taken out of the oven of local bakers. I used to get up very early in the morning to buy this bread from the little kid peddling this bread at dawn to town folks. In my mind, I can still hear the little boy crying in a loud tenor voice, T- – -I- – -N- – -A- – -P- – -A- – -Y!!! Tinapay is a Tagalog or Pilipino word for bread.
I am sad to learn that this type of peddling is no longer practiced in the Philippines. I’m not sure if it is now considered an illegal activity. I have learned from friends when I visited the Philippines that even side walk peddlers have to apply for business license, no matter how small the quantity of the goods being sold. I should not be surprised as it is a fact of life that nothing stays the same.
Every time I eat Pan de sal I’ll always remember that sweet yeasty aroma and that little boy who peddled this bread at wee hour of the morning who did other household chores, I presume, before going to school.
I found this simple Pan De Sal recipe on this site. What I like about this recipe is that it does not call for milk or eggs. Please click here
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