Press Kit

Reinventing the native lechon

By Cherry C. Bobadilla
Weekender -Business World
Friday-Saturday, July 9-10, 2004

While many are vexed by Metro Manila traffic, a prosperous business was conceived in its midst - Pritchon™, or pritong lechon (fried roast pig).

Businessman Charlie Esguerra was stuck in traffic one day when he broached the idea of deep-frying a suckling pig to his wife, Dina. And, as fate fashioned it, Dina dreamt of her late mother suggesting that they wrap the delicacy in pita bread, much like how the peking duck was served.

And so the native lechon was reinvented. A suckling pig weighing 12 to 15 kilograms is deep -fried in a stainless tub and left to drain excess oil. Pieces of crispy skin - the technique of achieving which hitherto remains a trade secret to most lechon experts - and chopped tender meat are wrapped in pita bread with the choice sauce.

"We experimented with the sauces. I thought of four but we ended up with many," said Mr. Esguerra. Aside from the customary liver sauce, Pritchon™ may be dipped in hoisin, white garlic, honey mustard, sate, chili Tagalog, and honey lemon.

A favorite among the Pritchon’s clients is the combination of honey mustard and white garlic. Also a special wasabe sauce can be preferred upon customer request.

A family business, Pritchon’s ingredients are sourced from relatives and friends. The pita bread, which comes plain or flavored with tomato, spinach, or herbs, is prepared by a friend; the pork is supplied by Mr. Esguerra's brother and cousin, who, like himself, own a hog farm in Bulacan.

By sheer ingenuity, Pritchon™ has thrived since its inception a couple of years ago.

The business grew primarily by word of mouth. Mr. Esguerra grabbed every opportunity to serve Pritchon™ gathering.

"I always think of the guests and how many of them can be potential customers," said Mr. Esguerra. "Every delivery is an important delivery."Thus, quality is vital concern. A major challenge is infallible timing. Orders come from far as Davao and Cebu, but the Esguerras cannot accommodate these.

The truth is, even the perennial problem of traffic in the city is a consideration. The product has to be delivered to the destination quickly lest it start to lose its crispness.

The Pritchon™ is bundled up in a banig (mat) and delivered by a staff member who, like a kimono-clad server in a sushi bar, chops, and serves it to guests. For P3,850 an order, the pritchon is more expensive than a regular lechon. Mr. Esguerra, however, assures customers that it is worth the price.

Unlike the regular lechon, which somehow loses its appeal after the precious skin is striped, nothing is wasted with Pritchon™. In addition, its preparation is more expensive. The suckling pig is deep-fried in gallons of vegetable oil, which definitely does not come cheap, like the liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) used for cooking it.

Even after the success, Mr. Esguerra continued to develop the concept of Pritchon™, introducing Pritchopabo™.

An alternative to those who try to veer away from cholesterol, Pritchon salad™ is a mixture of crunchy pork skin flakes, shredded meat, crabsticks, ponkan (Mandarin orange) bits, fried noodles and lettuce tossed in a special dressing.

Meanwhile, Pritchopabo™, is deep-fried turkey also wrapped in pita wedge. It comes with its own selection of sauces: cranberry, mushroom gravy, curry, and Mexican Salsa.

In fact, the health conscious will be glad to know that Pritchon™ does not use any artificial flavoring in its products. For one, its products are monosodium glutamate-free.

These innovative ideas, coupled with a lot of hard work, can account for Pritchon™ success. The traffic simply paved its way.

Read Articles About Charlie’s Pritchon™

• It's A Wrap for Charlie's Pritchon
  Philippine Daily Inquirer
  Eric S. Caruncho
• The Whole Hog
  People Asia
  Patricia M. Romualdez
• A Tale of Turkey and the Deep Fried Pig
  Food Magazine
  Lori B. Baltazar
• Reinventing the Native Lechon
  Weekender -Business World
  Cherry C. Bobadilla
• Pritchon™... The lechon reinvented!
  Manila Bulletin - Sunday Leisure
  Lai Suarez-Reyes
• Pritchon™: The " Pritong Biik" Deep Fried in Stainless Steel Tub
  Philippine Star
  Millie Reyes

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