Amazing Array of Mushroom Products at Buenas Diaz Mushroom Farm

Buenas Diaz Mushroom Farm used to be a poultry farm then converted into a mushroom production farm early part of this year.

Buenas Diaz Farm

“Buenos dias” is Good Morning in Spanish,  The proprietor use this wonderful greeting and play of words then incorporated their surname “Diaz” and not “Dias” and that “Buenas” would refer to the evolved Tagalog word for good luck.

tarpaulin poster

They get the technical training including the sourcing of spawns and mushroom production and processing know-how from the Central Luzon State University. DTI and TESDA Bulacan is also helping them thru their trade bazaars and shows.

oyster mushroom production area

Majority of the of their production were oyster mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus) in fruiting bags and their by-products. The production area also includes misting system, which help regulates the temperature and humidity inside.

out of youth children earn part time at this farm

Buenas Diaz farm produce is worth patronizing aside from  of their various food preparations is their contribution to providing livelihood opportunities to local residents either as hired labor or as contract growers.

oyster mushroom

They also hired some out of school teenagers which the parents cannot afford to send them to school. The farm is slowly increasing their output and joining the bandwagon of farm tourism.

chocolate cake, puto, baked lasagna, pancit malabon

chocolate cake

The mushroom farm offers the local farmers off-season labor opportunities in the preparation of fruiting bags which is quite labor intensive.

mushroom chicharon in different flavors

This farm came up with various mushroom products. like the crispy mushroom “chicharon”, it came in various tastes – the plain, cheese, garlic, spicy barbecue, salted eggs, sour and cream. There were few combinations like spicy garlic and cheese barbecue.

mushroom sisig

The group also enjoyed first hand the culinary skills as the host prepared dishes using oyster mushroom that are freshly gathered from their farm.

fried mushroom

This is everyone’s favorite, their version of fried mushroom ala chicharon style. These are freshly prepared with the use of fresh oyster mushroom, batter mixture  and other ingredients.

mushroom patty

The dehydrated products could be ground, converted to powder can be used in soups and even medicine.

They are also joining other local bazaars and trade show in order to further promote their products.

group photo ( photo courtesy of Buenas Diaz farm)

Note: We visited the farm upon the special arrangement made by Mr. Ervin Garcia, Diaz family and local government.  We are also careful by not entering the production area to avoid contamination.

Buenas Diaz Mushroom Farm

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/Buenas-Diaz-Farm-1055535507929760/

Address: 797 Magdangal,  Camias, San Miguel, Bulacan province
Contact : 0917-136-9075/ 0977-825-5899/ 0936-168-8857

Tita Thess Home Made Delicacies

Tita Thess or Aunt Thess Felix is not your typical house wife, She started her online business at home about 3 years ago selling tibok-tibok, sapin-sapin and other well-loved delicacies thru Facebook and via word of mouth.

Tita Thess pours freshly made tibok-tibok in plastic containers

She was born in the province of Pampanga and learned the art of making delicious rice based delicacies.

stylish wooden frame greets visitors

Her loyal band of customers would keep Tita Thess busy for much of the day and sometimes through the night. The group had a privilege to be able to visit her home and see a demonstration of her famous “tibok-tibok” and “sapin-sapin”. But these two “kakanins” are not the only native delicacies that her loyal clients keep coming back for. Aside from these mouthwatering delicacies, she also makes “pichi-pichi”, “palitaw”, “puto flan” (rice cake) with custard, “pansit” (noodles), “kalamay”, “biko”, “maja blanca”, fish “lumpia”. As the holiday season nears, she only accepts an advance order. generous with the quantity and quality of the ingredients, her products are truly worth a repeat order.

tibok-tibok and sapin-sapin

Customers can also pre-order- her well known tibok-tibok and sapin-sapin in 1 bilao. One can also request that 1 bilao have 50% tibok-tibok and 50% sapin-sapin.

Some of the orders are from the parents and teachers at the nearby school and government offices.

tibok-tibok

“Tibok-tibok” is also called carabao milk pudding which originated from Pampanga.  It is the Kampampangan’s version of “maja blanca”.

preparation of tibok-tibok

“Tibok” refers to the heartbeat and as Tita Thess demonstrated to us, we can tell the “tibok-tibok” is cooked when the little bubbles on top start to pulsate slowly and makes little sounds like the beating of the heart.

Tita Thess showed the group on how she put latik over the tibok-tibok

She purchases about 20 to 30 bottles of fresh carabao milk in the market in the morning to fulfill her orders for the day.

latik

She would also order 30 to 35 coconuts (niyog ) in order to make toasted coconut meat, toasting the gata as early as 4:00 am and would take about 2 hours to made it reduce consistency called “latik”.

Tita Thess pours glutinous rice mixture

She uses commercially available glutinous rice powder mixed with non-glutinous in a fix proportion.

 sapin-sapin in steamer

sapin-sapin with jackfruit and latik as toppings

“Sapin-sapin” is another native kakanin she demonstrated to us, is a layered glutinous rice ( ube and green)  The colors have corresponding taste and Ate Thess’ version has no red because she doesn’t know what flavor to give it. She also does not have a yellow colored layer which is traditionally a jackfruit flavor.

Tita Thess’ white layer is coconut milk, the blue layer is ube, and the green layer is pandan. Unlike “tibok-tibok”, The sapn-sapin is soft and chewy. Her sapin-sapin version is topped with latik and sweetened jackfruit.

Tita Thess and Mr. Ervin Garcia together with industry practitioners, bloggers, media

Most of her products can be pre-ordered via their FB page and for pick-up.

Special mention : Sir Ervin Garcia and Tita Thess Felix for the warm accommodation.

Tita Thess Espesyal Kakanin atpb.

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/titathesskakaninatbp/

Contact : 0917 540 3188