Bread From Above

by Reuben Cabrera, Paula Combista, Deborah Naciongayo and Nathan Almonte

 

  Have you ever tried eating Angel Flakes before? If not, then let me take you to a tour about what this food is all about. Angel Flake is a kind of bread that resembles the body of Jesus Christ. Why is it called as such? One reason is because the bread was made by the Pink Sisters themselves using their hands as stated on its package. The Pink Sisters are sisters/nuns who wear pink clothing hence they got the name “Pink Sisters”. Another is that it is made from the bread (or host) used in the Catholic churches during masses; however, this food does not look like an angel.

    If you are a Catholic, then you would know what it looks and tastes like. You would say that it is white, circular and tasteless but I tell you that these Angel Flakes are far more different than the bread/host. On the other hand, you would be curious on what are we talking about. So to further end the long wait, let’s begin the tour about this amazing bread.
Angel Flakes are not like those ordinary kinds of bread available in the bakeshops. These are brownish in color and somehow spongy yet thin, just like the crackers.  These are irregular in shape because these are made from the bread used in the masses which are cut into thin pieces. They can have shapes that are similar to a diamond or a square and many more. After that they add hint of glazed brown sugar and topped it with sesame seeds. They are not as white as before due to the added glazed brown sugar, which are partially brown and partially white. However, there are parts of the bread where there is sugar and where there is none; so if you don’t have any sweet tooth, this bread is still available for you.

   Upon opening the container of the bread, you would immediately notice the aromatic smell of the sugar embedded in it. If you love sweet stuffs, then its smell would immediately lure you into tasting it. However, some pieces of this delicacy are not coated with sugar. Sometimes you would taste something bland even though it smelled sweet and sugary. That’s the fun part when eating this bread. You would have to take chances when eating; sometimes you get something sweet, sometimes not.
The taste of this bread makes it different than those any kind of bread. Since this is made from the bread/host used in church masses, the unique flavour of the host is still evident in the dish. After tasting these, you would say that it doesn’t have any taste. However, if you took another piece this time, one that is fully glazed with brown sugar, you would realize that there are pieces with and without sugar. One thing you’d like when eating angel flakes is the crunchiness of the flakes. The crunchiness of the flake makes it fun as it cracks and snaps in your every bite. However, I would advise to consume it immediately after opening because once it gets expose to air for a long time, it would lose its crunchiness and hence losing the fun. Another thing you would like about this flakes is the blend of brown sugar taste. There are pieces that are tasteless and pieces that have brown sugar sweetness which are caramel-like in flavour.

   If you want to taste this product, the only place you could buy this is at the Holy Spirit Adoration Convent, Cataluñan Grande, Davao City and I tell you, this the only place where you could buy this product. There are no other churches in Davao and maybe the whole world that sell these bread. So we what makes “Angel Flakes” unique here in Davao.  Is it because of its crunchiness or mysterious taste?  Or maybe it is made by pink sisters? Or is it because it was made from bread/host or for Catholics, the body of Christ? Or it is because it can only be found in Davao? For me, the true reason what makes Angel Flakes unique is how it defines a Dabawenyo. It shows that even the smallest of things matter to the Dabawenyo and they don’t allow anything to get wasted. See how they transformed the bread/body of Christ into something that both children and adults will enjoy.

   This is one of the many unique foods that can only be found here in Davao. If they were to advertise this the poster should say “Angel Flakes, Only in Davao” instead of using “Only in the Philippines” and it’s true, where else can you find the bread/host being made into something crunchy and chewy? Only here in Davao.

   I guarantee that you’ll enjoy Angel Flakes once you get to taste it but I hope you will not make it the reason why you want to attend mass at the Pink Sisters Church.