Cebuanos often make fun of Boholanos. My dad was a Cebuano, but no, aha!, he was born in Bohol! But my mom, who he chided endlessly for being Boholana, was in fact, born in Cebu, and a descendant of a large clan with lots of family in Leyte. But her family was a fairly well-known one from the proud little island of Bohol, the home to one of the Republic’s elected Presidents…not many provinces can claim that, after all, though Cebu can as well. At any rate, the gentle “rivalry” between the islands is an amusing one… So while Cebu might have the best dried mangoes, silvanas and what not, I have to say that Bohol has absolutely the finest broas I have ever eaten, period. And here, with a quick modification, I am inventing a cookie that would make my maternal ancestors proud… meet the “Boholano” – two Osang’s broas with a filling of rich chocolate cream. Superb.
Make a rich chocolate ganache of dark chocolate and cream (or with tablea and butter and cream if you want more local authenticity of ingredients), then spoon it generously onto the flat side of a broas and top it with another broas. Best if made shortly before eating. Serve with a small cup of hot chocolate if you want to really go over-the-top. Inspired by a Milano (my favorite store bought cookie), and since I once wrote with amusement about Filipinos, that Spanish cookie, I figured why not christen this a “Boholano.” Try it, I bet you will like it! Patent pending… :)
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Just love that oozing chocolate! *Drool*
i’ve been doing that but with the frosting from betty crocker.. hmmm… i should try your boholano.. looks soo tempting.. i would love to lick the sides first.. yum!!
Pardon my ignorance but are broas the same as ladyfingers?
Joey, yes they are very similar, but the boholano ones are lighter, a bit sweeter and thinner than most western ladyfingers…
Yummy!
Marketman, maybe you can try making a boston cream version using the broas. Sandwich the vanilla pudding cream between two ladyfingers then cover the whole thing with chocolate ganache….
Havent tried it yet but it inspired me to make one after looking at the photos…
YUMMMMY!!!
yes, the broas from bohol are really good! my dad’s from bohol and that’s one of the local products he’s most proud of. my lola tried doing that once, but she used coconut jam and served them with banana con hielo. my aunt also uses guava jelly on them sometimes; and its nice blend of tartness and sweetness.
i’m thinking the version you made would be great with ice cream. mmmmm!!!
That first photo is really tempting! How could anyone not want to use their finger (or tongue) to scoop up that dripping chocolate?!
What a coincidence you’ve posted about a Boholano product! I’m looking forward to buying some of these broas when we go to Bohol next month. My dad (whose maternal side is from Lucban and who spent several years there as a kid) has always loved the Lucban broas best and likes to buy those big cans to take home. Just from the looks of it, I can tell the Osang’s broas are lighter and more delicate. I’m curious to see if they’ll make my dad switch allegiance…though I doubt it! ;-)
And what is a Cebuano pray tell? Two otaps sandwiched thus. Or maybe glued together with dulce de leche. Whatever the case, I would eat them like I do Oreos, pry them apart, lick the cream filling away and chase the sweetness with the uncoupled cookies.
Your story about your parents reminds me of that old song
Kung ikaw inday, mangitag pamanhonon/Siguruha baya inday/Kanang bol-anon
(And then several lines extolling the virtues of the Boholano which I can’t recall at the moment and ends with)
Ang bol-anon buutan gayud/
Magmahal kanimo hangtud sa kahangturan….
Roughly translated, it goes
If you, miss, are looking to marry/Be sure to choose a Boholano
The Boholano is a good man, and will love you forever…
My dad was from Bohol and my mom from Cebu, so I am well aware of that “rivalry” you talk about…:)
Those broas look good! Yes, Bohol broas are the best although I love Argao broas too!
I prefer to eat the broas by iteself!
Or, you could use one of your jams or preserves as the filling and then dip half of it in the ganache, just like some of the butter cookies from the italian bakeries here.
I love Milanos as well. They also have Orange Milanos. Perhaps you could add some orange zest or liquer to the chocolate for an Orange Boholano.
Those Boholano broas look so good. As a kid, I used to dunk (tuslob) broas in hot sikwate. The challenge was eating it before the broas got all soggy. Kinda gross now that I think about it.
I also like “kinatluan”, the bracelet-shaped biscuit(?) that wasn’t too sweet. Is kinatluan a Boholano specialty?
ykmd, do you Argao roots? Where did you get your Argao broas from? We grew up eating broas (and torta) from the Sarmago’s.
Your broas sure look sooo good — move over Lucban broas! Please advise where we could get some, other than Bohol of course:-)
Hmmm, I love Milano cookies by Pepperridge Farm as well as their chocolate chunk cookies. I was grieving over the fact that I would not have enough of this when I moved over to Bacolod. I was ecstatic when I saw that SM Bacolod carried this. Talk about being reunited :).
My dad’s from Bohol too. And, so is my husband’s dad. Everyone seems to have somekinda Boholano roots. The Republic of Bohol, as my Dad proudly says. That’s because it was independent from the Philippines for 85 years!
Aside from broas, another boholano delicacy that I like is what they call “COOKIES”. It’s this round cookie, plain and simple. But delicious nonetheless.
I think the cookie would go well with chocolate, jam, dulce de leche, whatever… Because it’s not too sweet.
Hi MM! I might be going to Bohol soon… where do you get these broas?
My grandmother’s family settled in Bohol many, many years ago and their house is still there, somewhere in the middle of the city… I love Bohol (and Cebu isn’t bad either ;) …)
Picture pa lang, it looks to die for alreadY! Hay…
MM, is Milano by Pepperidge Farm?
beautiful picture! was wondering, kasi you talked about making a local version of ganache, what would be the proportions of tablea,cream and butter, and how do i make it? I would love to try it out. Thanks
Grabe, I KNOW I could eat this forever.. ;P
Lechonero, crush some pure tablea, mix it with melted butter until like very thick chocolate. Add lots of sugar then stir in cream while over low heat until nice and thick. Do not boil. Start with a small batch until you like the taste, sweetness, thickness. Otherwise, use non-tablea chocolate instead, chopped up and cream or milk added to it until thick. Cool a bit until spreadable… Mrs. Kookie, the place is called Osang’s broas, behind the Baclayon church, I have a precious post on the broas, I think.
Wow, that looks even better than Milanos :) Those broas that you can buy near Baclayon Church are really yummy!!!
I will definitely try this one!!! I love Milano, too! Have you ever tried ithis with the sinful lenguas de gato?
Hi Marketman!
I just read this post and it is rather timely, as I just came from Bohol. Crissy is right. The broas you can buy near Baclayon (it’s located at the back of the Church’s compound actually) are really good! Also, if you have time, sorry for the *shameless plug* but I am really proud of this family heritage.. Please do try the Peanut Macaroons from Bohol. It uses the same recipe..actually the ORIGINAL recipe of the Peanut Kisses (my lola invented that)…as the Peanut Kisses now are commercialized (it’s a long story…) My Tita makes the Peanut Macaroons straight out of her kitchen, site to where the first Peanut Kisses were manufactured :) Drop me and email and I’ll give you her contact number should you wish to grab your hands on some original Boholano delicacies :)
hi joylet, yes, the broas from Osang’s behind the Baclayon church are superb. My family has been going to them for 40+ years! I have several related posts on them in the archives…yes, will look for the peanut macaroons the next time I am there…
Hey MM! My dad is Cebuano but I have never ever had lechon ever. Can you please do a post on it? :)
Trish, there are a few posts on cebuano style lechon in the archives.
yummy ! the picture itself is unquestionably delicious ……. i’m a boholano living in bohol and no doubt broa is one that bohol could boast to the world and the universe( char!… it is somewhat exaggerated.hehehe)even though there are other provinces in the philippines making this cute product… hmmm… do you know what’s the major difference between bohol’s broa and its counterparts? …of course these broas are made in bohol.(duh! im getting corny…as always.hehehe).
people, please try peanut kisses ( i know that bacolod and other places in the country have this also) but with a twist…. hmmm. try eating it having calamay as dippings…nyam nyam nyam ! ow see? its authentically boholano ……
oops correction, theres no such word as BAJOT in bohol its BAYOT……. hmmmmm….. thats an example of over labeling that boholanos are J speakers ( J speakers because we change tht letter y of cebuano words with J but not all words, and BAYOT is an evidence to that..)
ey, mga SANO !( pronounce the O very hard just like how boholanos do it.hehehe. SANO is equevalent to cebu’s BAI but sad to say its a dying term, are totally dead,i don’t know….
people, visit bohol!the province is getting better…. one of the finest in the country.char!
Sus!! Mga bisdak ga.englis2x pa.. ;) tilawi pud ninyo any Mindanao products… Such as me… Hehe