Philippine Chocolate Dried Mango

One of the top Philippine exports is the dried mangoes loved by both young and old, locals and foreigners. Taking it to the next level is one of my favorite dried mango makers--the Philippine brand by Pro Food International Corp, which I think has captured just the right amount of sweetness and chewiness in every bite. I finally found their latest creation surprisingly in a convenience store called My Stop and not in major supermarkets.

Who does not love chocolate and mangoes together? Although chocolate can elevate any fruit in my opinion, the type of chocolate used matters too. For this specific product, P54.00 is affordable due to low cash outlay but expensive because it's only 6 pieces per pack. Though I'm no chocolate connoisseur, the chocolate tasted poorly and not that satisfying. On the other hand, the dried mangoes were still as good as I remember them.

I heard that one brand came up with theirs using Belgian chocolate. Now that's really something I must try soon. The scouring continues.

BIKA's Dream On

Super hilarious moment each time I see products with "amusing" names. Case in point is this chocolate flavored wafer roll that I found in Metro Gaisano Ayala called "Dream On" from BIKA.


Photos are writer's own.

BIKA is one of the top Malaysian snack producers as per their website but of all in their portfolio, this is probably their most hilarious product, apart from their tagline encircled in green below. I know that they mean well and probably have something else on their mind when they made these titles but please, hire a better translator next time.

 

Photo from here

Philippines has a lot of all these imports from Malaysia and other Asian countries--thanks for giving ha-ha moments on the shelves.

 

Price: P259.25 for 1 box with 36 packets

 

Colgate Optic White

Photos from Optic White Facebook and writer's own

Yet another set of whitening products for the Filipinos to splurge on. But this one, I am quite a fan of since everyone just looks better with whiter teeth! Colgate's newest whitening line launched in the Philippines sometime in 2012 called Optic White which include toothpaste (100g, 40g), mouthwash (250ml), and toothbrush (adult) which all claim to help whiten teeth in only a week.

I really love the sleek, clean, and regal-like design and feel to it especially since they used those stand-up tubes and the color red. Looking at it on shelf just makes it stand out amongst all the other white and clinical looking toothpaste boxes. I think choosing Solenn Heussaff, who is currently one of Philippines' IT girls, is the perfect choice. Her appeal is really regal-like as well and not yet so masa.

I've tried it out especially since it's very affordable -- 40g toothpaste is only P54.50 and 100g is P95.30 only -- and it truly works! My friends have tried it too and they say Optic White has also worked for them. I have to say the mouthwash is not the best tasting and I think the toothbrush is too expensive at P162.75 a piece. How can a toothbrush help whiten teeth?? I think you can substitute the Optic White toothbrush with any other toothbrush at lesser cost.

Smuckers Squeeze

This is a long overdue post but nonetheless I am still elated about the Smuckers Squeeze in Cebu (along with the bins that they came in) that I saw on display at Metro Gaisano Ayala sometime in February.

Though Smuckers is considered an imported product, it has become popular among the jam-loving population in spite of its higher price. Local spreads in the Philippines are mostly limited to tropical fruits like pineapple, mango, coconut, and guava plus there's a major difference when it comes to quality. With Smuckers, one can actually taste (and see) the seeds and somewhat chunky parts which makes it feel and taste authentic and allows us locals to also get a taste of the uncommon flavors such as blueberry and strawberry on our toasted breads.. The local Philippine spreads, in order to make it affordable, really "spread it thinly" wherein it will taste like melted sweet goo with some form of flavoring.

Smuckers takes it to a higher level and uses these squeeze type bottles which not only looks good but is actually convenient as you can bring it around and makes sure that none goes wasted (because it's face down). Unfortunately, the packaging makes it more expensive compared to the jar ones. Personally, I am not that big a fan of the squeeze type at all -- I prefer to spread it. From my experience, you have to be really patient in order to let the jam squeeze through that very thin nozzle.

Smuckers Squeeze Strawberry 20 OZ - P205.40
Smuckers Squeeze Grape 20 OZ - P169.00

Photos are writer's own.