Bohol delicacies centre on calamay, peanut kisses, broas and ubi kinampay: sweets built from glutinous rice, peanuts, eggs and purple yam. This guide explains what each one is, where it comes from and how to enjoy it.
Food is one thread of any island itinerary, and the guide to bohol tourism covers the rest of the province, from transport to the main sights.
Calamay, the sticky sweet in a coconut shell
The Cooperative Development Authority describes calamay as a sticky and sweet delicacy made of glutinous rice flour, coconut milk and sugar, usually palm or brown sugar. The same document notes that some makers add peanuts to give the sweet a stronger flavour.
Bohol’s version is easy to recognise on a shelf. According to Wikipedia’s entry on kalamay, it is a well-known sweet dish from Bohol Province, particularly in the town of Jagna, and it can vary from extremely sweet to mildly sweet. The same entry explains that Bohol kalamay is sold inside halved coconut shells that are sealed shut with red crepe paper, a style of packaging known as kalamay-hati.
Jagna is not the only producer. The Cooperative Development Authority notes that the municipality of Jagna, aside from Alburquerque, is one of the most popular makers of calamay in Bohol. In Jagna, individual makers organised the Jagna Calamay Producers’ Cooperative, which the authority says was registered on March 22, 2020, as described on the authority’s calamay profile. The profile also says that before the COVID pandemic, production ran four times a week with an average of 120 kilos of glutinous rice.
Peanut kisses, the candy Bohol is known for
A 2003 feature in The Philippine Star described peanut kisses as a nutritious candy primarily made of ground peanut and sugar, and a favorite Boholano delicacy. The feature reported on Bucarez Food Processing Corp. in Tagbilaran City, which was producing export quality peanut kisses after technical help from the Department of Science and Technology.
The same article gives a snapshot of how fast a Bohol sweet business can grow. It says the firm began operation in January 2002 using an improved plant layout, and that production volume rose from its initial 51,800 kilograms to 86,400 kg. Sales posted a 70-percent increase, from P10 million to P17 million, according to the 2003 report. Those are figures for one company in that period, not current market data.
Peanut kisses are a separate product from the Chocolate Hills, although the two share a word. The Philippine Star’s 2011 travel feature said that when the hills turn brown in the dry season, they appear like “chocolate kisses” scattered on the countryside, according to the travel piece. The candy is a peanut sweet, not a chocolate one.
The company in that report is based in the provincial capital. The tagbilaran city guide explains what else the capital offers visitors besides its shops and markets.
Broas from Baclayon
Broas are the Boholano name for ladyfinger biscuits, and Baclayon is the town most associated with them. A Philippine Star food feature states that ladyfingers are made from the simplest ingredients: eggs, sugar and flour. Its authors describe a baker behind the town church who pipes each biscuit by hand and browns the batter over charcoal, below a stone structure fitted with grills.
That feature also records the family story of one well-known bakery. It says the recipe for this special broas was developed in the 1800s by the aunt of the bakery’s namesake and passed down, and that a granddaughter inherited the business in 1973. These are details from one family’s account, as reported in the 2010 article, and other Baclayon bakers have their own histories.
The authors suggest dipping the biscuits in coffee or hot chocolate, which suits their dry, crisp texture. Broas are sold in paper bags in the old-fashioned way, according to the same feature, so they are an easy souvenir to pack.
The town itself is worth knowing. The municipality’s own history page states that Baclayon was the first municipality established in Bohol by the Spaniards, and that in 1595 two Jesuit priests arrived and, with native help, built a stone church considered one of the oldest stone churches in the Philippines. The page adds that Baclayon gained status of a parish in 1717; see the municipal history for the full account. The baclayon church article covers the building and its museum, so a broas stop pairs naturally with a visit.
Ubi kinampay, Bohol’s purple yam
Ubi is the Boholano spelling of ube, the purple yam, as Philippine Star columnist Jim Paredes explained in a 2017 column. He wrote that Boholanos are very big on ubi and that the most delicious variety is locally called kinampay. A separate travel feature adds that the kinampay is a symbol of Bohol and is mentioned in the provincial anthem, as The Philippine Star reported in 2011.
The province treats the crop seriously. The Office of the Provincial Agriculturist reported that the governor urged growers to plant more kinampay during the 18th Ubi Festival, and that the province considered ubi a high value crop to substitute rice. The report counts 16 ubi-growing municipalities among the participants and mentions 350-strong members of the Bohol Ubi Growers Association, according to the provincial agriculturist’s account.
Visitors will find ubi in the form of tubers and by-products, since the festival report notes that growers sold ubi tubers and ubi by-products at their booths.
Tablea, sikwate and kinilaw
Not every Bohol food is a sweet. Sikwate is the Visayan word for the thick Filipino hot chocolate usually called tsokolate elsewhere, as the Wikipedia entry on tsokolate explains. It is made from tabliya or tablea, tablets of pure ground roasted cacao beans, dissolved in water and milk, and it is traditionally taken at breakfast or merienda, the afternoon snack, often with kakanin rice cakes or bread.
Kinilaw is a different kind of dish altogether. According to the Wikipedia entry on kinilaw, the most common version uses raw cubed fish mixed with vinegar, usually coconut vinegar or cane vinegar, along with a souring agent, salt and spices such as ginger, onions and chili peppers. The entry says kinilaw is native to the Philippines and that it is served across the islands of the Visayas and Mindanao, so it is a dish that fits the island’s seafood menus.
The same entry stresses that seafood must be fresh and properly cleaned, which addresses the health hazards involved with consuming raw seafood. That is a reason to order kinilaw where the fish is clearly fresh and handled well.
Bohol food at a glance
| Food | Main ingredients | Where it is linked |
|---|---|---|
| Calamay | Glutinous rice flour, coconut milk, sugar | Jagna and Alburquerque |
| Peanut kisses | Ground peanut, sugar | Tagbilaran City producers |
| Broas | Eggs, sugar, flour | Baclayon |
| Ubi kinampay | Purple yam | Ubi-growing towns across the province |
| Sikwate | Tablea cacao, water, milk | Visayan name for tsokolate |
Ingredients and places in the table come from the Cooperative Development Authority and The Philippine Star.
Buying Bohol sweets with care
Prices, opening hours and stock change from shop to shop, so this guide quotes none. It is an independent travel guide and has no connection with any producer, shop, tour operator or tourism office, and it neither sells these foods nor takes orders.
A few habits help. Check how a sweet is packed, since calamay in a sealed shell and broas in a paper bag are made for different trips. Ask what a product contains if allergies matter, because peanuts appear in some calamay and in peanut kisses. Buy close to departure when carrying sweets to a flight, so they arrive in good condition.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most famous food in Bohol?
No single dish holds the title, but calamay, peanut kisses, broas and ubi kinampay are the sweets most often named as Boholano specialities in Philippine press and government sources.
Where does calamay come from in Bohol?
Jagna is the town most linked to it, and Alburquerque is also a well-known maker, according to the Cooperative Development Authority.
What are broas?
Broas are ladyfinger biscuits made from eggs, sugar and flour, and they are closely associated with the town of Baclayon.
Is ubi the same as ube?
Yes. Ubi is the Boholano spelling of ube, the purple yam, and kinampay is the variety Boholanos regard as the most delicious.
Are these foods easy to bring home?
Sealed calamay shells and bagged broas are sold as pasalubong, but conditions vary by shop and season, so ask the seller how the product should be stored.
