In those often (or rare) visits back home, every Filipino is confronted with this question: what should I bring back? So if you're heading out of the Philippines to visit someone who hasn't been back for a long time or heading back after a holiday, here is a list of essentials (compiled from a post on The Global Filipino Parenting Village of Filipino) to tide you (and your friends and family) through those homesick days.
Do check what kind of food is allowed in your country. Australia and New Zealand are especially strict when it comes to fresh food and wood items.
Filipino Food
Food. It's all about food. Practically everyone listed food!
My Personal list:
Silver Swan Suka and Toyo because adobo just doesn't taste the same without them. (Note that other brands tend to put chemicals or preservatives so I'm quite particular about this brand)
Connie's Kitchen Bacalao, Tuyo, and Salsa Amaya (Salsa Amaya is perfect for a quick Filipino Putanesca Fix, recipe to follow!)
Coconut Sugar
Sky Flakes
Kesong Puti (must be kept frozen!)
Dipasupil Longganisa (must be kept frozen!)
Mary Grace Cheese Rolls and/ or Ensaimada
From the group:
Mango tarts! (we recommend Virgies)
Zaragoza Spanish sardines
Blue Kitchen Garlic Tuyo
Delimondo corned beef
Knorr Seasoning
And am seriously considering my cousin’s suggestion to freeze a Becky’s prune cake
Bags of pandesal!
Guadalupe Dried Mango Strips
Becky’s Brownies
Champorado and Arroz caldo mixes
Fresh manibalang mangoes
Goldilocks polvoron — I’ve had the ones made here (from California) and they don’t taste the same.
Lucky Me Pancit Canton
Calamansi concentrate
Tuyo/dulong in olive oil
Other Stuff
Filipino story books
Christmas ornaments (Parol, Belen)
Toys
Because everything in HK is ten times the price, I also stock up on:
Medicines
Baby soap/ shampoo
Diapers (1/4 the price of what we get in HK!)
Messy Bessy household products
Did we miss out on your favorites? Add them to the comments below!