SPOT.ph Underrated Finds: Grocery Faves for Your Last-Minute Lamyerda
Coffee with a fruity twist, local cheese that goes with anything: we've got them all here.
(SPOT.ph) As creatures of habit, we repurchase the same grocery items—tried, tested, and stamped with our personal seal of approval. These are the staples that have long held a spot in our cupboards and are usually the first things that come to mind in our to-buy lists without a second thought. But if you're too engrossed in sticking to the usuals, you might be overlooking some great grocery goods that you can add to your cart.
That’s where SPOT.ph’s Underrated Finds comes in: think of it as your new go-to grocery list, spotlighting hidden gems hiding in plain sight: grocery aisles with an overwhelming amount of brands and flavors. For our first roundup, we’re zeroing in on food and drinks we’ve found at Joel’s Place, Marketplace, and Unimart that will be perfect for your next out-of-town trip—whether you're on the road, boat, or plane on your way to the destination, or if you simply need something to simulate the feeling of summer vibes since you're stuck at home or the office cubicle.
Also read: The Little Known Story of Buko Pie: From Experimental Dessert to Pasalubong Icon
Underrated Grocery Finds for Your Last Minute Out-of-Town Lamyerda
Selecta Banana and Strawberry Milk
Yes, it does look like a popular Korean brand's version of banana-flavored and strawberry-flavored milk. But does it taste the same? Yes, Selecta's version, both the strawberry and banana tastes just like it, and the best part is that it costs almost half the Korean version's retail price (here in the Philippines, at least).
These would make great companions during a road trip, both for the kids and the kids-at-heart who spend most of their time watching Korean dramas just to crave Korean snacks afterward. Just make sure these are chilled before sipping for optimal enjoyment.
Selecta's Strawberry Flavored Milk and Banana Flavored Milk cost P31 each. This is available at Unimart.
Malagos Farmhouse Sophia
If you're planning to have light snacks by the beach or a grazing board in your Airbnb, you should definitely grab a bottle of Malagos Farmhouse's Sophia at Joel's Place. This is a bottle of soft goat's milk cheese infused in garlic-infused olive oil that pairs well with bread or crackers, and if you want to take it a step further, you can even add in a sweet jam to complement its mildly tart profile.
SPOT.ph tip: Although a bottle of Sophia is expensive (it costs close to a thousand), you can also wait until Joel's Place puts it on sale for half the price. That is, if you're patient and financially responsible enough (unlike us).
Malagos Farmhouse's Sophia costs P945. This is available at Joel's Place.
Gardenia Health Grain Multigrain Loaf
Gardenia’s Healthi Grain Multigrain Loaf is one of the newest products of the company, made with sourdough, sprouted rye grain, and mixed whole grains. It's surprisingly soft and moist—this is a great option if you like the nutty and rustic texture of a multigrain loaf, minus the typically dry feeling other wheat-y options leave in the mouth. And because of its highlighted ingredients, the loaf has a slight fermented tangy taste of sourdough to it, which pairs with pretty much any spread you can think of: peanut butter, berry jam, egg or tuna salad, or a cheese spread—which is a strategic move, should you want to appease every hungry stomach during your trip.
Gardenia's Healthi Grain Multigrain Loaf costs P115. This is available in major supermarkets such as Unimart and Marketplace.
Pinkerton Dulce de Leche Ice Cream
Pinkerton is a local ice cream brand with over 40 flavors, and their Dulce de Leche is one of their most popular flavors for understandable reasons: It has a sweet, burnt-sugar taste and milky, velvety texture that's a dream on the tongue. And, more importantly, it doesn't become icy when melted and refrozen.
The Dulce de Leche flavor is good on its own—while it's not as basic as vanilla, it's still versatile enough that you can add your favorite add-ons, be it chocolate, bananas, or candy sprinkles. Hey, you can even add a scoop of Pinkerton's sherbet (available in non-vegan and vegan/dairy-free options) for a tart contrast.
Pinkerton's Dulce de Leche Ice Cream costs P450/pint. This is available at Joel's Place.
UCC Iced Creamy 3 in 1 Coffee Mix in Pineapple Caramel
The idea of having pineapple in your cup of joe, a citrusy fruit combined with coffee, is not completely unheard of. Case in point: orange juice Americano (coffee layered with OJ). UCC’s Pineapple Caramel Coffee is like its cousin: sweet, tangy, and creamy, but you can still taste the coffee in spite of all the added layers of flavor.
Skeptical? So were we. But it’s weirdly good. Just be sure to prep it right: with a heap of ice cubes. This is meant to be iced coffee, after all!
UCC Iced Creamy 3 in 1 Coffee Mix in Pineapple Caramel costs P170/box of 10 sticks. This is available in major supermarkets, including Marketplace.
The Fruit Garden Mango Lavender
You know what pairs well with the Malagos Farmhouse Sophia cheese we were raving about? This Mango Lavender fruit jam from The Fruit Garden, a local brand known for its wide spread of flavors. Yes, they do have the usual berry suspects bottled in glass jars, but the Mango Lavender stands out. This thick, clumpy jelly spread uses your standard mango jam and gives it a glow-up with a floral twist, thanks to a touch of organic lavender infused into the jam.
The Fruit Garden Mango Lavender costs P300 per bottle. This is available at Joel's Place.
C2's Melon Freeze
Imagine if a mint candy decided to reinvent itself as a drink—that’s basically what C2 Freeze’s Melon Flavored Green Tea tastes like. It’s got that cool, minty hagod you get from popping a mint candy, but made more summer-appropriate with the sweetness of a melon. And yes, the green tea brings its usual earthy, slightly grassy profile to keep things grounded.
C2 Freeze in Melon costs P29.50. This is available in major supermarkets, including Marketplace.
Culture Pop Soda in Strawberry & Rhubarb
You can put down your childhood favorite fermented probiotic milk for a second—there’s a fizzy new kid in town, one that's more grown-up. Probiotic sodas are bubbling up (pun intended) in popularity across the West, and they’ve started sneaking into our supermarkets disguised in the form of eye-catching pastel-colored canned drinks. You've probably caught sight of them while buying your favorite drinks in the supermarket.
One of the more popular probiotic soda brands there is American brand Culture Pop Soda, and the best flavor we've tried (so far) is the Strawberry & Rhubarb. This drink has a sharp fizz, eases off the tartness just enough, and more importantly, is not too sweet—which, let's be honest, seems to be the main indicator of whether anything dessert-adjacent is good or bad.
Culture Pop Soda's Strawberry & Rhubarb costs P229. This is available at Joel's Place.
Tsaa Laya Iced Tea in Red Tango
If your go-to refresher is a glass of iced tea, local brand Tsaa Laya's Iced Tea in Red Tango is a great option that's fruit-forward with only mild sweetness brought by the added stevia (plant-based sweetener). The tart, juicy flavor comes from a blend of hibiscus and mulberry, while a hint of cinnamon adds a cozy little kick—like a warm hug you weren’t expecting from a cold drink. Just steep it in hot water, let it cool off, and add a generous serving of ice.
Tsaa Laya Iced Tea costs P348 for a box of 12 teabags. This is available at Marketplace.
Jeju Pop's Melon
Hidden so unassumingly in Marketplace's candy section is Jeju Pop, a "frozen dessert pop." Think of this as a less chaotic cousin of those jelly popsicles we all had growing up—no sticky mess, no bright red-stained tongue. The melon flavor leans more toward honeydew, and it hits best after an hour in the freezer.
Jeju Pop in Melon Flavor costs P19.75. This is available at Marketplace.
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