THE Christmas season isn’t complete without a taste of Ju.D Lao’s famous fruitcakes.
For me, Christmastime is truly here when a box (or two!) of Ju.D Lao’s fruitcakes arrives in the house and I get first dibs at them. They come in a hefty loaf, in four flavors: Classic Fruitcake (the original recipe, studded with glazed cherries, orange peel, dates, raisins and walnuts, and aged to perfection with the finest brandy); Coffee Prune Cake (a dark fruitcake, made only with prunes, walnuts and Kahlua liquor); Ju.D Blue (a rich, dark fruitcake, made with Blue Mountain Coffee, fruit glacé and walnuts, and aged with Kahlua coffee liquor); and Golden Fruitcake (a light honey fruitcake made with juicy golden apricots, red cranberries, walnuts, and a hint of candied ginger).
I have tasted all of them, and it is difficult to pick a favorite because each variant has its own distinctive taste and qualities to love. The thing about Ju.D Lao’s fruitcakes is that they have been developed to suit the Filipino palate. So they are perfectly enjoyed by everyone who buys or receives them and do not suffer the same fate as imported and imported-tasting fruitcakes (which are mostly recycled and passed on to others).
It was in 1975 when Ju.D, then a hobby baker, got inspired by the brandied flavor of European fruitcakes and thus decided to create a Filipino version. She put together a rich blend of fresh butter, glazed cherries, walnuts, raisins, orange peel, dates, honey and brandy, and, voila!, her Classic Fruitcake was born. That first batch of fruitcakes was sent to family and friends as gifts, word spread, and soon people were clamoring for them. Thus began the 47-year-old Christmas tradition of giving and receiving Ju.D Lao fruitcakes during the Christmas season.
Under her name, Ju.D also offers Chewy Chewkies (chewy fruitcake cookies, made with fruit glacé, raisins, walnuts and just a touch of brandy, and individually wrapped and packaged in long boxes of 12s) and Ginger Cookies (buttery ginger cookies, made with honey, young ginger, golden apricots and juicy red cranberries).
For inquiries and orders, contact +632 8633-1188 and +632 8633-0808.
