Espasol by Lorrie's Sweets

My mother-in-law (Nanay Lorrie) creates the best Espasol I've ever tasted. It is no wonder that our friends, relatives, officemates, and even complete strangers order it for pasalubong not only in the provinces, but also to other countries. 

A friend's Japanese boss would always ask her to buy some, while a hospitalized aunt of a lady senator would not eat anything on the hospital except my Nanay's espasol. One time, she even sent her driver to get the espasol from San Ildefonso, Bulacan to be brought to Manila!

Made from only three simple ingredients -- glutinous rice flour, coconut milk, and sugar -- it is so popular for those who have tried it. Even those who do not eat espasol easily became converts. To skeptic buyers, I always tell them to try a box first, then I don't oblige them to pay if they are not satisfied. Well, I have yet to encounter one who will refuse to pay or would not place another order, hehe.

What makes this espasol much much better than the rest? It has the proper mixture of ingredients, resulting in a perfect blend of flavors and texture, then portioned in bite-sized pieces. Nanay only use one specific variety of glutinous rice, powdered in a very tedious process, resulting to a "walang sabit" (perfectly smooth) espasol that almost melts in your mouth. Let me share with you some snippets of how its made:

First, all the 3 ingredients are poured in a "kawa" (large wok) under medium heat.

Then, they are slowly mixed by hand for uniform distribution of ingredients. The starch on the glutinous rice start to gelatinize as it gets cooked, solidifying the solution, making the hand-mixing process more difficult.

When fully cooked, the espasol paste are flattened into a rectangular sheet for cutting. Then each bite-sized espasol is rolled in glutinous rice powder to prevent them into sticking to each other.

Afterwards, they are packed in waxed paper sheets encased in carton boxes, before gift-wrapping them. Aside from aesthetic purpose, the gift wrap also help in controlling the humidity, allowing the espasol to be kept in 4-5 days at tropical room temperature. 

If it will be consumed in a few weeks or months, you can freeze it then put in the microwave before serving, like what my former boss does when she brings espasol to the USA.

Unfortunately, Nanay's espasol are produced on small quantities because of the limited shelf life. Buyers who want to order in bulk must advise at least 2 days prior to pick up date. Buyers from Manila or far away provinces will have to shoulder the shipping costs, like what the 2 de luxe hotels in Manila did during their Filipino buffet promotions. 

Lorrie's Sweets can be contacted at (63) 917-5385649.