The New "Pasalubong ng Bayan"?

It is a common custom for Filipinos to bring a "pasalubong" for their families and friends when they come back from a vacation or from any other trip, really. Pasalubong is a Tagalog word, which refers to a gift that is bought (or even collected) from another place. It's more like a souvenir, or a homecoming treat. Pasalubong could be anything - keychains, souvenir shirts, caps, food, etc. I mentioned "collected", because if you want to save money and be more creative, you could just bring a palm-full of sand from Boracay, for example... or a piece of volcanic rock from Mt. Pinatubo? hehe But I haven't tried that yet, I'm not sure if that's allowed. =)

With all the choices, I guess the most common pasalubong is food - any local delicacy. I know Davao's known for the Durian, and many other fruits. People from the North often buy crates full of Pomelos (Suha) for their families, and even though most of them abhor the taste of fresh Durian, I know a number of people enjoy the Durian candies. Cebu's most well-known pasalubongs are Otaps (I love the ones from Shamrock), and Masareal, Barquillos, and the likes. Xgenesis, I know you know this very well than I do, you are more than welcome to add to the list. :) Bohol boasts for it's Kalamay and Peanut Kisses, Iloilo has the Butterscotch and Dried Seafood, Cagayan de Oro and Camiguin Island are home of the Pastel, Baguio offers the Strawberry Jam, and all the other islands and cities have their own respective delicacies. All of these, by the way, are delicious. :)

In the 1980's, when people come from Manila, do you know what food they usually bring? The Dunkin' Donuts. I dunno if this goes true to other families, but my family and relatives have always brought Dunkin' Donuts as a food pasalubong in the past. Hehe Why do you think Dunkin' Donuts made "Ang Pasalubong ng Bayan" their tag line? :) The word Bayan, in English, means Nation or Country. Apparently, the doughnuts from the Dunkin' Donuts were a very popular pasalubong back when they were only available in the country's capital, Manila. But today, you can find them everywhere. What amuses me is that, there seems to be a new "pasalubong ng bayan" nowadays. And guess what? They're still doughnuts. The Krispy Kreme. I guess some things never change. :)

When my sister's friend visited from Manila, she brought Krispy Kreme. When a suitor of mine arrived from Manila, he also brought Krispy Kreme. When my sister came home from Manila last Tuesday, she brought 3 boxes of Krispy Kreme - for the family, and for her friends. Is this a general idea, or is the act just limited to my family and friends? hehe Don't get me wrong, we also buy clothes, toys, etc for pasalubong. But never without food to share. And this time, the Krispy Kreme seems to be topping everyone's list - if they come from Manila, that is.

And, oh, I'm just wondering... Do you still have the regular-sized Dunkin' Donuts in your place? The Dunkin' Donuts in Davao City are all small now. :) I'm guessing they compromised the doughnuts' size, so they could keep the price low.