Dolor’s kakanin, revisited

I’ve written about Dolor’s Kakanin in 2006 (sorry, old photo missing) and I had nothing but praises for the assorted rice cakes that we used to drive all the way to Malabon for. We have two boxes of Dolor’s Kakanin in the house right now, and one has been opened. I thought I was the only one who noticed — the kakanin are not as soft, sticky and chewy as they used to be.

Dolor\'s kakanin, assorted rice cakes from Malabon

They are firmer which makes me suspect that wheat flour has been added. The biko at the center of the bilao has undercooked rice grains and I can only say how disappointed I am at the apparent loss of quality control. I said nothing though, not wanting to create bias among the rest of the family. But my husband noticed too.

A serving of rice cakes

“It’s different,” he said. And that’s quite an understatement. Matigas was the word he used. Literally, hard. Well, not hard-hard, you know. But rice cakes are traditionally sticky and when the knife cuts smoothly through the cake, you know that it’ll taste different when it touches your mouth and tongue. Is it the rice crisis? Is the the commercialization? Dolor’s has a few branches around Metro Manila but, as far as I know, franchisees still get their supply from the main outlet in Malabon. Makes me wonder if there are no exceptions to the observation that anything mass produced loses the quality of the carefully crafted original.

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18 Responses to “Dolor’s kakanin, revisited”
  1. rhodora says:

    If not wheat flour, it could be cornstarch that has been added to the kakanin you bought.

    How I miss the kakanin that my mother used to make. Ang sarap, purong purong malagkit talaga, “nakakatanggal pustiso” daw, dahil sa sobrang kalagkitan. LOL!

  2. kulasa says:

    Sarap! Dolor’s has an outlet along West Service Road in Paranaque (near Serverina 18). I also love their Pancit, pati yung rellenong bangus.

    Pwede ka pa mag-special order – my cousin eats only the red part ng sapin-sapin kakanin so we ordered one na puro pula for his birthday (iba na lang nga ang tawag doon).

  3. JMonreal says:

    Dolor’s Kakanin need to revisit their quality control and put that “zing” back to their original recipe, otherwise their customers wil go buy foreign goodies instead. What’s happening to the Filipino pride. We need to have that passion back. Money will come only after.

  4. Mikky says:

    so sad to hear that their quality suffered… it was a childhood comfort food… hope they’ll take notice and improve… thanks for the tip… :)

  5. tulip says:

    I just had Dolor’s Kakanin last thursday. The whole largest box came from Malabon. We also had it last month. On both instances, those were too soft and sticky.
    But since early this year, I have noticed that there is something different about it. It still taste good, but its just not the good old Dolor’s Kakanin. Baka nga iba na ng flour ang ginagamit.

  6. beng says:

    kalungkot naman. those kakanin has been a part of my childhood in malabon. pg me okasyon lagi syang present and we used to give it as gifts sa mga relatives namin na ‘dayo’, either galing sa ibang bansa o sa prubinsya.
    malamang d na nga namaintain ang old recipe, as i understand mga anak at apo na ang ngpapatakbo ng dolor’s.

  7. Issa says:

    Ay! I noticed that too. I bought mine from a stall in SM… It was a bit thinner that I used to remember. It still taste good but it was firmer.

    My husband though did not notice anything at all. Can you believe, it was the first time he tasted dolor’s sapin-sapin? Lol! At least he truly enjoyed it.

  8. Connie says:

    Issa, my husband never heard of Dolor’s either until he met me. LOL

  9. Barbs says:

    Hi Ms. Connie!!! I Love your website! I also experiment with ingredients in our home…regarding Dolor’s, that’s sad to hear..but you should go and try the other stalls in our market…personally, mas masarap siya kesa sa Dolor’s.Even friends thought that I bought it from there, but it’s from our suki eversince I was a kid. :)

  10. MJ says:

    I grew up in Malabon, living now in SF. Whenver I go back to visit, I make sure that I bring back a bilao or two of Dolor’s for pasalubong. But I did notice the difference in their kakanin. It’s no longer the same as they used to make it — soft, sticky and you can tell in the texture that it’s made of pure galapong. You might want to try the kakanin inside the palengke in Hulong Dujat, Malabon. The last time I had them, they were really good.

  11. Jigs says:

    My family loves Dolor’s! I always get the Red part (my favorite). :D ~

  12. marian says:

    where did you bought your dolor’s kakanin? there are 2 cousins who makes the kakanin. you can tell the difference by the box and the location of the store. those that are bought from sm hypermarkets are tastier(white boxes with dolor’s logo on it) than the ones in red boxes. the ones in white boxes are made by lola rosa’s son, the one who originally formulated dolor’s kakanin and is tastier. they also have branches at banawe, monumento and paranaque near bf homes,president’s ave. i think.

  13. Connie says:

    There were two boxes, Marian, and they were brought by an acquaintance who lives in Tonsuya. The kakanin in the white box was the one that disappointed me. The one in the red box was much, much better.

  14. Michelle says:

    hello..just reading about dolors kakanin. i grew up there and usually if there’s family visitor my nanay will tell me bili ka ng dolor’s and me naman sakay agad ng tricycle coz ang lapit lang sa amin…yeah nagbago na nga d na masyadong masarap d tulad ng dati…also our house is near to rosy’s pansit malabon…yan talaga the best!!! anyway more power to you….michelle from california

  15. Peony says:

    Sorry to hear that but i have to be honest with you. Dolor’s Kakanin has 2 manufacturers, both are owned by Aling Dolor’s relatives.

    The products that are sold in the original factory, beside Concepcion Church in Malabon, maintains the same, quality as the original. It is now managed by Mommy’s Malabon Pride.

    The branch in Gov. Pascual is owned by both relatives that’s why there are two different boxes, the white and red (now green for the holidays) and the red box.

    Mommy’s Malabon Pride, the store in front of the Dolor’s Kakanin Extension Outlet, sells the original red boxed kakanin.

    You can enjoy the original recipe kakanin at these branches – Congressional Ave. near Mindanao Ave., QC, Km. 18 West Service Road, Sucat, Landmark Food Center Makati & Trinoma, SM Supermarket Weekend Bazaar – Makati, Megamall, Fairview, Sta. Mesa, Southmall and Manila.

    The red box is the original high quality version of kakanin. The label is “The Original Dolor’s Kakanin by Mommy’s Malabon Pride.” And we can proudly live up to our name, the Pride of Malabon!

  16. DONAH says:

    beri beri beri goooooddddddddd….

  17. vilma says:

    hello po kay ma’am denise, maari po ako maka hingi ng recipe ng sapin sapin? miss kna po kc ang lasa ng sapin sapin. 4 yrs kna po hnd natikman ito since 4 yrs n dn po ako nka stay dto s tacloban. grabe matagal kna po hnd natikman.please kng pwede lng po sana.thank you po…

  18. May says:

    Nice kakanin. I want more filipino recipe for our Pista sa Nayon celebration for the buwan ng wika.

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