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The family kitchen and the torta-making craft.
The craft of making torta in Argao is often passed down within families through generations. For Jessie Magallones, owner of Jessie's Homemade Torta, the recipe originated in her mother's kitchen. Since the 1990s, Jessie's mother baked torta to sell to neighbors and for village festivals.
Initially, Jessie only made torta for her family. Later, with small orders from acquaintances, baking gradually became a daily routine. To this day, batches of torta are still made in her family's small kitchen in the town of Argao, in southern Cebu (Philippines).
Jessie Magallones demonstrates the torta-making process to tourists in her family kitchen in Argao Township, Cebu (Philippines).
Preserve the traditional flavor of the cake with a clay oven.
Traditional torta is baked in a wood-fired earthen oven (hurno), a common type of artisanal oven found in Argao bakeries. The oven temperature must be kept stable to ensure the dough rises evenly without burning, creating a light golden crust while the inside remains soft and fluffy. Round baking molds are placed in the oven when the temperature is just right. The dough gradually turns a pale yellow and rises in the consistent heat. The baker must carefully control the heat; too much heat will burn the edges, while too little heat will prevent the dough from rising properly.
Clay ovens are used for baking torta bread.
Each day, the bakery can bake hundreds of tortas to serve both locals and tourists.
Wood is burned at the bottom and top of the clay oven to retain heat while baking torta.
Coconut tuba yeast in cake batter
Torta bread is made from familiar ingredients such as eggs, flour, sugar, and lard. The difference lies in tuba – fermented coconut water used as a natural leavening agent for the dough. When mixed into the dough, tuba creates small air bubbles that help the bread rise and give it a distinctive aroma. Thanks to this natural fermentation process, torta bread can also be preserved longer than bread made with industrial yeast.
The ingredients for torta include eggs, flour, sugar, lard, and tuba.
The basic recipe doesn't differ much between bakeries. The main differences lie in the preparation of ingredients and the ratio of ingredients in the dough. Some establishments now use modern ovens and industrial yeast to increase production. However, Jessie's tart shop still maintains traditional methods and bakes its tarts over an open fire. The tarts are made entirely by hand and baked over an open fire, which sets them apart from others.
Each day, a family-run bakery might bake over a hundred torta. During local festivals or when there are large orders, the number of torta produced can increase many times over.
Pork fat and traditional torta flavor
A key ingredient in the torta recipe is lard. Unlike many modern pastries that use butter or vegetable oil, lard provides a rich, creamy flavor and helps the pastry retain moisture. When combined with coconut yeast, this fat contributes to the torta's characteristic structure: a light, fluffy, soft, and flavorful interior. Today, some bakeries have replaced lard with butter to suit modern tastes, but many experienced bakers believe the old recipe still preserves the distinctive flavor of Argao.
Torta is a traditional Argao breakfast dish.
In Argao, torta is a common breakfast item. Locals eat it with hot chocolate (sikwate) made from traditionally pressed cocoa beans (tableya) in the Philippines. The torta is soft, slightly moist, and mildly sweet. When eaten with rich chocolate, the cocoa flavor blends with the aroma of coconut yeast, creating a very distinctive taste.
The baked tortas have a golden crust and a soft, fluffy interior.
In the small kitchens of the town, torta are still baked daily in the clay ovens of family bakeries. These egg-based pastries, fermented with coconut milk, remain a familiar part of the local breakfast.
