Durian Hopia #ulog DAY 1

Here is a trivia. Durian has always been my favorite fruit despite its scarcity here in Ilocos Sur. I only get to try and taste it when a relative brings it home as pasalubong. We don't have supermarkets here that sell them whole or sliced.

As my uncle got to spend a vacation with his whole family in USA for 3 weeks, my brother was able to send some pasalubong for us when Tito Ning (Anthony) got home. We were able to receive them last night when our clan had a salo-salo lunch. With a huge pack of chocolates, a pack of dried jackfruit and the durian hopia, Tito was kind enough to have an extra space for these in their luggages. Kuya doesn't necessarily need to send some but he knew Mama would feel happy to taste these new delicacies, especially the last two which are products imported from Vietnam.

So here is a close look at its packaging. Im not really sure how to write down the product name. I really appreciate the effort of my Kuya's girlfriend, Vivienne, who had the idea in the first place to send us these, since she would also want us to show what they enjoy eating in their home country. Interestingly, Mama's favorite fruit is also Durian. Funny because I just knew it when we confessed at the same time as I excitedly cut open the packaging.

So according to Wikipedia, Bánh bía, sometimes spelled bánh pía, is a type of Vietnamese cuisine bánh. It is a Suzhou style mooncake adapted from Teochew cuisine. And it says popular fillings include durian, shredded pork fat, salted egg yolk, mung bean paste, taro and coconut. Wow! Literally, it’s jaw-dropping for me to discover that they regularly incorporate durian in that kind of delicacy. But here, everyone will just call this hopia 😂

I was literally chirping loudly when I saw there was only four pieces in it. Imagine there's like 6 of us in the house. And we do want everyone to taste it since it is something special and cannot be bought here. Sharing equally has always been the rule in the house.

Whichever the quantity, it’s still okay since the size per piece is big.

With two inches in diameter, definitely the biggest hopia I've eaten so far.

My first bite was heavenly. I could taste the pureness of the Dutian in there. Even it has been freaking ages when I last tasted one, I could still forget the uniqueness of its taste. "Nakakahappy talaga", cue Kris Aquino's voice. Eto yung sinasabi nilang 'siksik,liglig at umaapaw'. Forgive me if there are supposedly errors in there but that's what it came to my mind when I savoring the hopia. The pastry was soft,cooked to perfection. The filling was moist and I've already given the verdict to its taste. It is the best hopia in the world 😂 If I have the chance to buy it again even if it's many miles away, I'd buy it for sure. Kudos to the Vietnamese💕