Buko pie — a coconut custard tart made with young coconut (buko) — is the defining local food of Los Baños and the wider Los Baños-Bay area of Laguna province. The filling is sweet coconut custard with tender strips of young coconut flesh in a short pastry crust. Every visitor is expected to leave with at least one box.
The best versions are sold at small bakeries and roadside stalls along the national highway through Los Baños and in the neighbouring town of Bay. The crust should be crumbly and the filling generous. The original Natividad's along the highway is one of the oldest producers; various competitors have proliferated over the years. The pies travel well for a day or two and make easy souvenirs for the trip back to Manila.