Featured Products: Most Recommended and Bestselling Pasalubong 

The pasalubong box ritualizes Filipinos’ generosity. It is the material manifestation of a culture that zealously puts family first before self. 

Every month or so, a Filipino family in the Philippines would receive a large, corrugated box filled to the brim with foreign food brands and items—enough to make the children feel loved and longing for their mother or father toiling away overseas. I heard stories of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) who took as much paid overtime as they could so that they could fill the box with items requested by their children for leisure or schooling within a month. It takes another month for the pasalubong box to be delivered to the doorstep through special freight services that manage the logistics of thousands of these care packages.

In the Filipino language, the root word salubong means “meet” or “welcome.” When the prefix is added, pasalubong connotes a social expectation that one will be met or welcomed with something. Historians are not entirely clear about the origins of the practice. On the other hand, cultural anthropologists believe that the practice is an extension of generosity and reciprocity already embedded in the Filipino DNA long before the Spanish came. The strong sense of social responsibility to give back can be felt in small packages too. Filipinos would always bring back something home to their loved ones after work or a quick getaway. Going out of one’s way to find the perfect pasalubong emphasizes the importance of reinforcing relationships, polite remembrance of those left behind, and sharing the fruits of one’s fortunate circumstances.

Pasalubong is not just any gift, however. Pasalubong is more of a souvenir—unique item/s or delicacies specific to your destination. The pasalubong culture resembles the culture of omiyage (???) in Japan, except that this etiquette is practiced in the workplace only. Nevertheless, Japanese etiquette also demonstrates reciprocity and appreciation by gifting co-workers with delicacies tied to the destination. Similar to omiyage, failing to bring pasalubong is sometimes frowned upon or embarrassing at the least. The social pressure can be overwhelming when family and friends hint at expecting a pasalubong from your travels—almost an obligation that must be fulfilled to avoid embarrassment.

Filipinos returning to the US after visiting relatives in the Philippines are not exempted from the pasalubong culture. Filipino immigrants in the US look forward to receiving pasalubong that makes them feel at home and less lonely on American soil. Anything that comes from the Philippines gives them a sense of being reintegrated back to their roots. After all, they are still Filipinos who are only separated from their home by the force of the desire for greener pastures. The pasalubong box symbolizes the American Dream for both overseas workers and immigrants.

Waiting for your next visit to the Philippines just to hoard your favorite pasalubong goodies may not be the cost-effective way to go, so My Tindahan thought of bringing home closer to you. We give you a rundown of the most-requested and best-selling Filipino pasalubong straight out of Louisville.

CHICHARON

As the pork-loving folks in the Philippines jokingly say, chicharon will keep you young at heart. Oh it’s so good that it will make your heart skip a beat—hope not quite literally. Chicharon is one of the most sought-after delicacies in Filipino drinking parties. It’s made with savory pork rinds that curl up when deep-fried. A good chicharon worth its salt (pun intended) is a joy to sink your teeth into because of its crispy and puffy exterior. Filipinos learned chicharon from Spanish influence (they spell it as chicharrón). The Filipino term chicharon may refer to other variations that differ in crispiness, saltiness, and thickness—depending on the pig part used. Chicharon may also refer to savory crunch made with fish, CHICKEN, or beef.

OTAP

How can we ever forget to include this one in the list? Otap is one of best classic pasalubong treats of all time. Every pasalubong store in the Philippines sells different local takes on it. Otap best represents the Filipino biscuit—light, airy, barely sweet, and can be dunked in coffee or Milo. Otap is almost similar to the French palmiers, only crispier, flakier, and oval-shaped. Originating from Cebu, this Filipino pastry is distinctively sprinkled with sugar granules on top and toasted to golden perfection. 

HOPIA

Hopia came from the Chinese word ho-pian, which means the “good pastry.” The older generation of Filipinos may remember going to the local bakery to buy a handful of hopia for breakfast or merienda, without ever knowing that it is the cheaper version of traditional mooncakes in China. Hopia is a small, round pastry filled with either saccharine munggo (mung beans) paste or savory pork lard. But not all hopia are made equal. Nowadays, hopia of different shapes and flavors sell like hotcakes during Chinese holidays in the Philippines. Nevertheless, all variants of hopia have a thin, flaky, and crusty dough exterior that succumbs to bite to reveal a generous filling of assorted sweet and savory flavors inside. Hopia is currently one of the best-selling snacks in My Tindahan. 

TUYO (DRIED FISH)

Sure, bringing this one to the States may find you in trouble once your neighbors’ noses pick up the abomination that this Filipino delicacy gives off. To them, it’s a rotten stench that nobody would ever want swirling around the apartment building for days, let alone have the source sitting in their stomach. To us, the fishy odor is the loveliest, most aromatic thing about the perfect Filipino breakfast in the countryside. You can fry tuyo in close quarters to its perfect crunch and nobody would ever complain about the smell plucking them from their sleep.  

To avoid offending your neighbors, why not try baking tuyo instead—the exhaust vent will suck the odor and expel it out in the open air. Or you can also try another trick: marinade a batch of dried fish in a mixture of vinegar, water, and garlic to dilute the saltiness and bust the foul smell. Wait…that doesn’t sound right. That’s not the tuyo we used to love. You know what, worry about it later. Just grab this and go. 

PHILIPPINE DRIED MANGOES

Filipinos will never say no to face-puckering sour. Intense cravings for sour fruits and tart dishes randomly hit us, and then we go out our way to forage for any sour food to tame our mouth-watering urge. Filipinos have a wide selection of easily accessible sour food that makes us flinch and twitch—it is what immigrants in the US miss about the Philippines.

During the peak season, Philippine mangoes take over our sensibilities. They are sold on the streets, cut, and served with a spoonful of bagoong (shrimp paste). The best ones are those that are pale green on the outside but yellowish on the inside. You can smell their pungent odor from a mile away, and you would instantly salivate like a rabid dog.

Filipinos in the US report having a hard time looking for mangoes native to the Philippines. So, they turn to the next best thing: dried mangoes. Export-quality Philippine dried mangoes taste just like the real thing but are made a tad sweeter and with longer shelf life to keep you satisfied for days. It retains a little moisture to keep it fresh, juicy, and chewy.

We give Philippine dried mangoes the top spot on this list. We have the best-tasting mangoes in the world, and this is no different from the real thing.