Just a quick drive from Metro Manila is Laguna, a province known for famous tourist attractions such as Pagsanjan Falls, Mount Makiling hot springs, Jose Rizal Shrine in Calamba, Seven Lakes in San Pablo, Underground Cemetery in Nagcarlan, and much more. Laguna is also known for its native delicacies, including the sweet, tasty buko (coconut) pie.
Buko pie is a traditional Filipino dessert made from the flesh of young coconut — cooked with plain or condensed milk, sugar, and cream — then baked in a flaky pie crust. A trip to Laguna would not be complete without getting a box of buko pie as pasalubong (gift or souvenir). Now, let’s take a look at some of the best buko pies that Laguna has to offer!
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1. The Original Buko Pie
Along the national highway in Los Baños is a bakeshop that is known to be the original creator of buko pie. Every day, customers line up at Orient – The Original Buko Pie Bakeshop to bring home a box (or two, or three) of delicious buko pie. There is usually a long queue and many cars parked in front of the shop… so you can’t possibly miss it!
Credit: The Original Buko Pie
The bakeshop was established in the early 1960s by the Pahud family. The eldest sister, Nanette, had been working as a cook for an American professor at the University of the Philippines in Los Baños. She learned how to bake apple pie, but since apples were not in abundance then, she opted for a more locally available fruit – coconut!
Nanette developed the Original Buko Pie recipe. Before going abroad for work, eventually left the bakery to her sister, Soledad. And the rest, as they say… is buko pie history!
Aside from buko pie, the bakeshop also offers banana pie, cassava pie, pineapple pie, tropical pie, espasol (sticky rice), and uraro (arrowroot) snacks. Before heading home after a trip to Laguna, be sure to get a box of Original Buko Pie and other yummy snacks!
2. Lety’s Buko Pie
Situated right beside The Original Buko Pie is another bakeshop that’s famous for its buko pie. In fact, some would even say that while most tourists line up at “The Original,” most natives of Los Baños actually prefer the buko pie next door… Lety’s Buko Pie.
Credit: Lety’s Buko Pie
Lety’s Buko Pie was established in 1976 by Leticia Belarmino (hence the name). Back then, Mrs. Belarmino was simply baking pies as a hobby, then decided to start her enterprise with an initial capital of just PHP 200!
Today, Lety’s Buko Pie has several branches in Los Baños as well as in the neighboring city of Calamba. Many customers rave about the buko pie’s “delicious crust” and soft coconut filling, which is “just the right amount of sweetness.”
Other than buko pie, Lety’s also offers cassava cake, carrot cake, espasol, brownies, “food for the gods,” and other must-try snacks!
3. Colette’s Buko Pie
Along the highways of Laguna, you might have noticed another popular bakeshop: Colette’s Buko Pie and Pasalubong. This shop actually has branches in Metro Manila and Tagaytay, so you can easily buy their products pretty much anywhere in or near the metro!
Credit: Collete’s Buko Pie
In 1989, Colette’s Buko Pie was established in San Pablo City, Laguna by Plaridel “Ed” Dela Cruz. It was named after his daughter, Colette, and started out with buko pie as the only product. Since then, the bakeshop has expanded and also diverged into different kinds of pasalubong. In fact, Colette’s Buko Pie now has more than 60 stores across the country, including branches and franchises!
True to its name, Colette’s offers not only buko pie, but also other “pasalubong.” These include different kinds of pies (e.g. buko, buko-pandan, buko-langka, pineapple), pastries (e.g. chocolate crinkles, rocky road bars), and rice-based snacks (espasol, bibingka).
The shop also sells local snacks such as broas (ladyfingers), apas (crispy thin bread), barquillos (crispy rolled wafer), and pastillas (milk-based confectionery). Some of these are made in the shop, while others are sourced from other stores and manufacturers around the province.
READ THE BLOG POST: 15 Best Laguna Tourist Spots
4. El Mare Buko Pie
Also located in San Pablo City, right in front of the main branch of Colette’s Buko Pie, is another noteworthy bakeshop: El Mare Buko Pie. Aside from San Pablo, the shop has several branches in Calamba, Laguna as well.
Credit: El Mare Buko Pie
Many customers rave about its buko pie’s right amount of sweetness with generously stuffed crust. In addition, the bakeshop also offers mango pie, macapuno pie (made from a variety of coconut), pineapple pie, tropical pie, ube (purple yam) pie, ube bibingka (rice cake), buko bibingka, crema de maiz (creamed corn), banana cake, cassava cake, chicken empanada (stuffed bread), and other delicacies. Indeed, there are so many products to choose from at El Mare’s!
READ THE BLOG POST: 15 Best Resorts in Pansol, Laguna
5. Norma’s Buko Pie
Unlike the previous bakeshops, Norma’s Buko Pie has been around only recently, though it is fast becoming a hit among customers, mainly because of its delicious pies that are sold at affordable prices. This bakeshop is located in Barangay Canlubang in Calamba, Laguna.
Credit: Norma’s Buko Pie
Other than buko pie, Norma’s bakeshop also sells buko pie with cheese, egg pie, ube pie, buko de leche, and ube de leche. A top favorite among customers is the buko de leche, which is basically buko pie with a layer of leche flan inside. Perfect for those with a sweet tooth!
Read the Blog Post: 15 Best Filipino Dishes
Final Thoughts
Without a doubt, the buko pie will continue to be a popular pasalubong among Filipinos and foreigners alike, especially when they come and visit Laguna province. But which pie should you get — The Original, Lety’s, Colette’s, El Mare’s, or Norma’s?
Here’s an idea… why not try all of them? Get a box from different bakeshops along the way, and have fun sampling each brand of buko pie during a movie night at home! Better yet, grab boxes of different fruit pies and pastries, too. Your “favorite” may not turn out to be the same as the others, since each one is bound to have a unique and preferred taste. Still, whichever you prefer… the buko pies of Laguna are definitely among the best Pinoy delicacies out there!
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