Iya's Jumbo Pastillas

Have been hearing or reading about Iya's Jumbo Pastillas since months back but only got to order the product recently. On our way home from the Manila International Book Fair, we picked up our orders -- so that we could try the pastillas out and we also bought some to give as gifts.

So, are the pastillas really jumbo? Compared to the regular itty-bitty pastillas that you have gotten used to -- yes. Looking at them though, they didn't look very jumbo to me. When you start to eat them however, the richness and sweetness will begin to hit you and I really couldn't eat more than one at a time. As for my kids, that's another story.

The pastillas come in three varieties: pastillas de leche (the regular, milky kind); ube (purple yam); and tostado. The tostado pastillas were mixed for a longer period so they look browner than the usual pastillas de leche. We tried the ube and the pastillas de leche. I liked the ube best as they did taste like ube (with some ube bits) and not just like sugar. I found the pastillas de leche too sweet. Everyone else here at home, though, liked the de leche better. When my daughter Ali actually heard me say that the pastillas de leche was too sweet for me, she took one, put it near her face (making the pastillas appear like a prized possession) and then went on to say: "It's perrr-fect..."

The pastillas come in boxes of 24 pieces each. The box is cute -- although it is quite soft that they have a tendency to get slightly squished if you do not handle them properly. I wish they could be made of sturdier materials, especially if you plan to give them out as gifts or send them to your friends and relatives abroad.

Allow for 2 days' notice when you place your order. Shelf life is about two weeks. It took us about a week to finish two boxes here at home and it survived even without refrigeration.

You may call 843-9066 here in Makati, Philippines for orders. All orders are for pick-up at the Lagdameo residence at 2320 Morado St. Dasmarinas Village, Makati.