Best bottled bites for the holidays
Looking for gifts that feel thoughtful, delicious, and proudly homegrown? These locally made bottled bites are small but mighty—flavorful little treasures perfect for food lovers, hosts, and everyone who appreciates a pantry upgrade. Here’s a curated list of local gems guaranteed to delight.
La Petite Fromagerie Signature Spreads
This beloved homegrown brand knows its way around cheese, and every jar feels like a hug from someone who really knows what they’re doing.
The truffle cream cheese spread blends Italian truffles with three cheeses and herbs for instant luxury. The Taba ng Talangka Cheese Spread—a collab with Puro TnT—is pure indulgence, while the Smoked Salmon Spread packs Norwegian salmon, garlic, and herbs into the perfect bagel buddy. Spoon onto pasta, smear on toast, or eat straight from the jar.
Berry’s Deli x Chef Miko Calo Whipped Brown Butter
A family-rooted collaboration that tastes like creative genius. Miko Calo teams up with cousin Jack Stehmeier of Berry’s Deli to craft bold, playful flavored whipped brown butters: maple-miso, seaweed-wasabi, or langka-calamansi. These melt beautifully over steak, veggies, hot rice, and even on warm pandesal.
Pilya’s Kitchen Chili Oil
A bottle of chili oil made by a Michelin Bib Gourmand chef? Sign us up! Kriza Palmero of Pilya’s Kitchen makes punchy, savory chili oil that just begs to be added to almost anything—dumplings, steamed rice, plain bread, pancit canton in the middle of the night, and maybe even on top of vanilla ice cream if you’re daring.
A perfect gift for anyone who believes the right heat can fix almost anything.
Saint C
Saint C champions Filipino-grown produce with pure, beautifully crafted pantry staples. Its hand-pressed calamansi extract delivers fresh brightness in every drop, while the patented CocoMansi blends coconut aminos and calamansi for a healthier, soy sauce-like fix.
Meanwhile, the pure coconut vinegar—naturally fermented for up to a year—adds gentle acidity to marinades and dressings. The Coco Catsup, made with coconut milk, annatto, malunggay, and coconut vinegar, offers a wholesome twist on the classic condiment.
Nicole Ortega’s Cheese Pimiento
A cult favorite for a reason, and foodies swear by it. This cheese pimiento is creamy, nostalgic, and impossibly spreadable—the kind of simple pleasure that disappears from the fridge far too quickly. It’s a great choice for gifting families or coworkers who love an easy merienda upgrade.
The best part? They’re restocking the spreads soon for the holidays at Eric Kayser stores and Urban Pantry in Greenhills.
But Butter Buttest Flavored Butters
This small-batch butter brand is a treasure trove for flavor hunters, with sampler sets that star variations like burnt butter with garlic and shallots, lemon and herbs, roasted seaweed, sun-dried tomato, and sweet cinnamon. They’re fun, flexible, and fantastic for cooks who love experimenting—or for friends who want toast that tastes like a treat.
Rustic Mornings Spinach Artichoke Dip and Strawberry Jam
A Marikina favorite, now available by the bottle. The spinach artichoke dip is creamy and comforting, perfect for holiday tables or lazy movie nights, while the strawberry jam is bright and fruity without being overly sweet—the kind of jar that makes you want to give one and keep one.
Chef Mira Cream Cheese Spreads
Chef Mira’s creations are decadent in the best way. The sundried tomato cream cheese is tangy, savory, and perfect for pasta or crusty bread, while the bacon caramel cream cheese leans sweet-salty. Think cheesecake meets breakfast.
Nic’s Salad Dressings
For your health-conscious friends (or those trying to be), Nic’s lineup is reliable, fresh, and restaurant-quality. The Balsamic Vinaigrette layers garlic and olive oil into a clean finish. The Ranch Dressing is creamy with real buttermilk and herbs, and the Caesar Dressing brings the punch of Parmesan and egg yolk.
Great for hosts, home cooks, or anyone determined to eat a vegetable this December.
Ereñeta-Manaloto Chorizo de Bacolod (Bottled Chorizo Pudpod)
A true Bacolod specialty preserved in a jar. This bottled chorizo pudpod (resembling ground meat instead of chorizo in sausage casing) comes in two classic Negrense styles: recado for those who love a savory, garlicky punch, and hamonado for fans of that sweet–salty balance Bacolod is known for.
Perfect for stirring into pasta, topping garlic rice, or gifting to anyone who misses the flavors of home. It may be from Bacolod, but you can get it in Manila at Joel’s Place.
