Meat Fair 2019

Weird as I am, there's this event near our office on Visayas Ave. in Quezon City, that ushers in my personal Christmas Season: The Meat Fair of the National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS). It is held annually, every third week of October. For me, it's very festive: lots of cold cuts, canned goods and ready-made viands to buy at much lower prices than in groceries, eat to your hearts' desire (free tastes, left and right, can you imagine?) and freebies to score. After the week-long event comes Undas when we get to be together with relatives and then time to put out the Christmas tree. 
That's why..get it? Tee-hee. 
This year, however, Meat Fair was held a week earlier because of the African Swine Fever (ASF) scare. The government wants to assure people that it's okay to eat pork as long as you buy it from reputable stores that are regularly inspected by the NMIS. As always, my officemates and I had fun visiting the booths and sampling the products, especially the new ones, buying lots of breakfast and "baon" fares and getting freebies such as condiments and kitchenware.
Here are some scenes from this year's Meat Fair:

Free tastes!

Lapid barbecue is humongous at P50.

Big crunch!

My favorite hotdogs!

Not everything is meat, though. There's also "bibingka" for sale!

Do you know now why my co-workers and I love going to the Meat Fair? It's a fiesta for carnivores! Us moms also love the give-aways. This year, I got a free bottle of soy sauce and a pouch of menudo sauce. But last year, I had a beautiful red apron! My office friend received a grander free gift on the first day of the Meat Fair last Monday: a medium-sized ceramic baking dish and a Lock & Lock-type plastic container. 
She had a big purchase of pasta sauces, that's why. 
Well, till the next edition of our favorite event, the Meat Fair, in 2020!

Have you tried Jollibee's Buko Pie?

Buko or coconut pie is no doubt one of those desserts and snacks that is definitely Pinoy. The Philippines has an abundance of coconut trees, making the country the world's biggest producer of these fruits, according to an article that I read. 
There are so many by-products of practically all parts of the trees, including the fruits, which are made into all sorts of candies and snacks and added as ingredients to various dishes. One of the most popular of these is the buko pie, which is a favorite pasalubong from those who are travelling to southern Luzon provinces, 
particularly Laguna and Quezon. 
The good news, however, is that one need not travel far anymore to be able to buy the mouthwatering pie. Just visit the nearest Jollibee branch and you will be able to sink your teeth into a hot, sweet and delicious piece of buko pie. It was perhaps the biggest news in the foodie world last Oct. 15: that Jollibee now offers buko pie, along with 
its hugely popular sibling, the Peach Mango Pie. Haha! 
Yesterday, I was happy to try the new offer at Jollibee - Visayas Ave. I had one with a steaming cup of freshly brewed coffee and the pair was made in heaven! Jollibee's Buko Pie is filled with chunks of tender coconut meat swirled in some thick, creamy and sweet sauce. If your worry is too much sweetness, don't let it be. The sweetness is pared down by the savory, flaky-crunchy crust, that's why there's 
no "sawa" factor or cloy to it.

The new Buko Pie is a welcome addition to Jollibee's product line. As it is distinctly Filipino, I could see it becoming a favorite at the fast food restaurant chain's branches abroad, which have earned a huge following not just among 
Pinoys but even among foreigners.
Try it now, folks! It's very affordable at just P30. each.