A gracious Filipino tradition

From practically every corner of the country, a wide variety of pasalubongs is available, good enough to be proud of and given away not only to Filipinos but to people one may visit in a foreign country.

Pasalubongs are part of the Filipino tradition of remembering kin and friends after a trip or during a visit with family and friends. It is a gracious gesture, perhaps meant to share happy memories of a trip or as tokens of appreciation. A new pasalubong from a sister who is based in Cebu inspired us to write and list some of the things, basically food, that could be ideal pasalubongs.

Cebu lechon has, for years, been shipped to Manila and other parts of the country for various celebrations. Now, this special food is the newest pasalubong one can get from the Mactan (Cebu) International Airport. It is labelled Zubuchon, Zugbu being the original name of the province. These are frozen in one-kilo packs, P500 per. It is a delightful idea to answer the craving for our native roast pork, especially since one cannot always order a whole pig. It comes with heating instructions, for either oven, microwave or frying. The accompanying flyer even suggests that this can be cooked into sinigang. We heated ours in the toaster oven, the skin still came out crispy and the meat tender and flavorful. But you need to buy the traditional lechon sauce separately, as the Cebuanos hardly serve their lechon with liver sauce. It keeps for a month in the freezer. Contact Zubuchon through telephone no. 032-236-5264.  

From Cebu, as well, is danggit, salted or unsalted, much welcome by Manilans. There are different types and pack sizes, and prices range from P80 to P150. Then there are pastilles, made in Argao. These are biscuits filled with cream and laced with sugar, truly a delicious snack. Of course, during mango season, baskets of these are excellent pasalubongs, just like the preserved mango strips. Our pancit will not be perfect without the Kwong Bee chorizo Macau from Cebu.  

 Baguio, certainly, is a place for great pasalubongs. There are the small longganiza and various vegetables and fruits one can get in the market, if one will be brave enough to explore the chaotic public market. And brooms – our kids were able to bring home three which they got for P150. There is also the Good Shepherd ube jam, competing with other brands. And peanut brittle, too. From the Baguio Country Club, be sure to reserve your raisin, banana and carrot breads and other bakery products for the lines are always long. And of course strawberry jam.   

From Bohol, which is supposed to produce the best tuber – ube – jaleang ube is a treasured pasalubong. They also have beautiful tsinelas, rivaling those in Liliw, as well as baskets and mats. Peanut sweets are also done well by the Boholanos. There is quite a variety of these available.

From practically every corner of the country, a wide variety of pasalubongs is available, good enough to be proud of and given away not only to Filipinos but to people one may visit in a foreign country. Check them out.

October is Coffee Month. Dubbed Coffee Origins 2013, events will be held from Oct. 10 to 22 in various venues – at the Greenbelt 5 Gallery, where free coffee is being served, seminars at Enderun and Commune Coffee. Go and check them out if you are a coffee fancier. Join the farmers, roasters, buyers and consumers. Discover the beans grown in Mindanao (Cotabato and Sulu) which were non-traditional producers before. Check with any member of the Philippine Coffee Board, among them their indefatigable president Chit Juan.

Have a drink, enjoy your coffee!

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