Baguio-Quezon

Aside from flowers, Baguio City is also popularly known for its vegetables. There's a certain crunchy sweetness to its carrots, cauliflowers, snow peas, and lettuce. As a native of Baguio, I have also grown to appreciate the abundance of vegetables. Perhaps it's also because my parents love serving this on the dining table. Pinakbet, dinengdeng and chopsuey are staples. We even had a vegetable patch once upon a time, where my father planted upo which grew quite nicely.

In the market, vendors sell assorted vegetables at 6 kinds for a hundred pesos. You may find these quite a bargain, but since these are perishable items, make sure you check your purchase before handing over your hard-earned money. If you have the time, it is still best to get from vendors where you can hand-pick your veggies and have them weighed. Try the Hangar market, which is at the other end of the market strip frequented by tourists (one end being the Maharlika Livelihood Center).

For those who visit the Strawberry Fields in Benguet, be sure to drop by the Trading Post where veggies from the region are dropped off for delivery to Manila and other areas. You can get your veggie fix for a good deal if you buy in bulk. But if you will just make a small purchase, the price there is not significantly different from the Baguio City market.

Carrot sticks, anyone?

Posted in: food, market, vegetables on Friday, February 08, 2008 at at 9:02 AM