Eat or Retreat,  Product Reviews

Eat or Retreat: Baldo’s Bacon Jam in Original & With A Kick

Bacon Jam. Not a new idea to me by any means, but I have to admit I never really found myself clamouring to try it. I’m not big on bacon you see (yes my kind does exist) but I do enjoy it occasionally.

When these cute little bottles of Baldo’s Bacon Jam fell into my hands though, I felt excited. I started recounting in my mind the number of things I could do with this Bacon Jam– spread on plain bread or crackers; use as a dip, or as a salad/pasta topper. It can also level up a plain old omelette or grilled cheese sandwich.

Should I go on? I’m sure you get the idea.

The brand that reached out to me for a review is called Baldo’s Bacon Jam. The idea for the business came about when Baldo Gonzaga and his wife went looking for ways to earn from home. It was only natural that they go the way of food, since they are both food-lovers after all.

It was actually Baldo’s daughter Ranz who contacted me about this review, and since I’m always game for new things and new brands, I told her I’d be more than happy to try it out. If you’re curious to know my thoughts about Baldo’s Bacon Jam, read on!

Product: Baldo’s Bacon Jam in Original and With a Kick
Price: Php 250 for 150 grams (Minimum order of 15 bottles) / Php 150 for 100 grams (Minimum order of 25 bottles) *See below for special Christmas Sale prices!
Availability: Order through baldosbaconjam [at] gmail [dot] com OR 0915 269 9737

The bottles they sent me are 100-gram portions. I realize it seems rather small as I hold it in my hand like this, but from a healthy-eating standpoint, I think this is not a bad way to control your consumption of Bacon Jam.

There’s such an abundance of flavour in these tiny bottles that little bit goes a long way! For the purposes of this review, I decided to try the jams in as natural a state as possible without eating directly from the bottle with a spoon, just so I can really get a sense of the taste.

Opening up the bottles for both flavours, you will immediately see some solidified fat on the surface. This is totally normal because we’re dealing with a meat jam here. Just scoop it out and you’ll see underneath the bacon jam itself.

It reminds me quite a bit of bagoong. The appearance and the texture are similar, but of course it doesn’t smell the same. The Bacon Jam smells more of onion and spices, but it also smells sweet.


Baldo’s Bacon Jam in Original

A sweet and savoury marriage of flavours: First, the sweetness of sugar, followed by the taste of smokey bacon. Then the tarty zing of vinegar balances everything out alongside a touch of whiskey.

Taking a bite, I was expecting it to be savoury with a slight salty aftertaste, but that’s not what I got. I can definitely sense the sugar in here, but it seems to have overpowered most everything else. There’s a slight smokiness to the bacon, but I was left looking for the vinegar zing and the touch of whiskey.

Instead of tasting like bacon, this jam tasted more like asado. You know, the red pork filling for siopao? If you are into sweet asado, then this is definitely for you. (I know a lot of people are!) I’m not really a fan of sweet meats so this was just okay for me.


Baldo’s Bacon Jam With A Kick

The original formula with just the right amount of kick added.

Truth be told, the kick in this jam is very very mild for people who like spicy things like myself. However, I must admit, it’s a kick that you will definitely notice in every bite. That kick is what made the difference for me in terms of elevating an okay jam to something more enjoyable.

The touch of spiciness helped to control the sweetness of the jam, making it lean more towards smokey. It still is sweet, but I feel like that is not the first thing that hits you compared to the Original flavour. I like it better this way.

For people who want a bit of oomph but who don’t like spicy things, you can handle this. For people who prefer something spicier, not to worry, they’re developing a ‘Hot & Spiced’ flavour which will come out soon. And it’s not just going to be hot, they’re going to add a special mix of spices too!


Final thoughts

Fans of serving cheese and bread platters for the holidays can now add a little something new to the mix, but I feel like these would make an interesting addition to your Christmas basket as well. It’s not something you see everyday, and I know for a fact that a lot of people like bacon. This is a different way to enjoy it for sure.

I feel like these jams are worth a try, especially Baldo’s Bacon Jam With A Kick. These jams are cooked fresh and do not have preservatives so they don’t really have a long shelf life, but I think it’s enjoyable enough that you’ll be able to finish up a jar in no time. Gather up your friends and order a batch because there’s a minimum quantity and it’s hard to finish 15-25 bottles on your own haha!

Maybe you’re thinking the jams are just a bit expensive for their size, but the good news is our friends at Baldo’s are having a little Christmas Pre-Order Sale until November 30, 2016.

Right now, they are only accepting pre-orders to ensure freshness of the products. And for the 100ml jars the minimum for this Christmas season is 10 jars instead of 25. They will also throw in some Christmas tags included for free.

For more information, visit their Facebook page and Instagram!

PS. As an Advertising Major, I feel compelled to talk about one very important thing about the packaging of Baldo’s Bacon Jam– I can’t really read the branding. The text is too thin and too small! The word “jam” also looks like “jar” from afar. They should consider improving that as well. 🙂

Full disclosure: I was sent sample of the products to try, but all opinions are 100% my own.

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