Pastillas facts for kids
 
Top: unwrapped pastillas;
Bottom: a set of wrapped pastillas |
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| Type | Sweets |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | Philippines |
| Region or state | San Miguel, Bulacan, San Pedro, Laguna |
| Main ingredients | Carabao or cow milk |
Pastillas, also known as pastillas de leche (lit: Milk Pills) or pastiyema, refer to a type of milk-based confections that originated in the town of San Miguel in Bulacan, Philippines. From San Miguel, pastillas-making spread to other Philippine provinces such as Cagayan and Masbate.
Initially, pastillas de leche were primarily home-made by carabao-rearing farmers. A small-scale industry on the food product soon grew, with the pastillas made from either carabao or cow milk or both. Refined sugar and calamansi juice are also added during the pastillas-making process.
In San Miguel, Bulacan, a Pastillas Festival has been celebrated every May since 2006. The pabalat tradition is also included in the festival, which involves the display of elaborate paper-cut designs using the pastillas' wrapper material.
