Palaweño flavors
Cashew Nuts & Bandi
Palawan is the Philippines' cashew (kasoy) capital. The nuts come roasted and salted, and — most addictively — as bandi, a brittle of whole cashews bound in caramelised brown sugar or honey. The island's top edible souvenir alongside hopia.
About this dish
Palawan is the undisputed cashew capital of the Philippines, its warm climate and soil ideal for the kasoy tree, and the nut is woven into the island's pasalubong culture as thoroughly as hopia. Harvested from the curious cashew apple — a fleshy red-yellow fruit with the single nut hanging beneath — the kernels are roasted and sold by the bagful, plain, salted, or garlicky. But the most addictive form is bandi: whole cashews suspended in a slab of caramelised brown sugar or honey and left to set into a glossy, amber brittle that shatters and chews at once, buttery and sweet. Around Puerto Princesa, cashews also turn up in nougat and as 'turron'-style treats, sold everywhere from the public market to the airport. Lightweight and long-keeping, a bag of bandi or roasted kasoy is, with hopia, the souvenir most likely to leave Palawan in a traveller's luggage.
Allergen information
Preparation methods may vary by restaurant. Always confirm with staff if you have severe allergies.
Where to try
Pasalubong shops and the public market across Puerto Princesa; Baker's Hill