There are countless ways to spread some holiday cheer this Christmas. And for hundreds of years, one of the world’s enduring time-honored traditions is that of giving food as gifts. Yes, the gesture of handing food as presents is about as old as the first fruitcake that ever made its rounds in neighborhoods. It is usually passed on from one generation to another as in the case of the 125-year-old heirloom fruitcake baked by Fidelia Bates in 1878 and kept within the family in Tecumseh, Michigan until the time Jay Leno took a bite of it in front of TV audiences in 2003. The fruitcake itself traces its roots back to ancient Rome and in other parts of Europe when they baked this heavy bread, fruit and nut into a cake to preserve and celebrate the fruits that were hard to come by during the cold winter months. History even points to the fruitcake as a food offering reminiscent of the jewels brought by the three wise men as gifts to the child Jesus in the manger.
Fruit cakes are not as treasured as they were back in the 1700s.
While it was probably a prized gift to receive in the 1700s, today’s fruitcake has earned a reputation that can only be “environment-friendly" at best, if you focus on its sole redeeming quality as a “recyclable" gift. Seriously, how many times have we been gifted a fruitcake and jumped for joy at the “thoughtful" gesture with which it came? Being on the receiving end of a fruitcake is a good enough hint for anyone to question the motives of the giver. However, the jokes made about the fruitcake are not meant to diminish its qualities as a dessert of distinction. In years past, the fruitcake had been revered and perhaps, even desired, much like our generation’s fudgy brownies, chewy cookies and other delectable kitchen treats that are exchanged in the spirit of the season. Yet who knows, a few years from now, that beloved box of snickerdoodles you’re hiding from everyone’s sight right now will suffer the same fate as the much-maligned fruitcake, that of being handed down from one person to another in a virtual party game of pass the ball.
Kamote bread can be the centerpiece for a healthy breakfast gift basket.
So before you mindlessly hand out food items as gift this Christmas and while most kinds of food are welcome in a lot of households, there are a few things we must keep in mind lest we find ourselves at the receiving end of yet another box of fruitcake:
1. Check the expiration of the food item you are about to give. Yes, the temptation to buy food marked at half-price in the supermarket is irresistible but just the same, take heed of the expiration date that’s stamped on it. We all know that stores can get devious in getting rid of stocks that shouldn’t still be on their shelves. And the best way to do it is through a “buy one, take one" scheme that we, gullible buyers, are only too happy to bite into.
2. Know the shelf-life of the food you’re giving away. When you give a food gift, put a note on how long the food can stay uneaten and if it needs to be chilled or frozen for later consumption. Most of the these food gifts stay on people’s office desks or kitchen counters for days, even weeks. A lot of them are “saved" for unexpected guests or for pot luck parties. Make a safe bet that cookies and brownies stay “fresh" or in an “edible and enjoyable" state for no more than two weeks. If you really want something that will last a little less than a lifetime in one’s pantry, give a bottle of wine.
Pack your cupcake gifts in sturdy packaging to make sure they stay intact.
How many times have we opened a seemingly delectable box of chocolates only to find those lovely truffles sticking to the bottom of the box because it was thoughtlessly left in the car by the giver’s messenger? Or how many times have we tried to dig into a paper bag of cookies we’ve been saving only to hoist our fingers up coated with crumbs? Yes, a lot can happen from the time the food left your house until it reaches your friend. For all we know, he or she will just shove it inside a bag along with other precious gifts before he or she hops on the overly-crowded train ride home. Also, as a general rule, it’s best to avoid gifts that are essentially sticky since most of the food gets stuck to the wrappers when the recipient finally makes a go at them.
4. Be wary of giving food gifts that are too sweet and that ants will beat the recipient to. Most native treats like
pastillas de leche or baskets of
lanzones are surefire crowd-pleasers, that is if your definition of a crowd is an army of ants. These sweets attract these hard-working bunch of six-legged creatures often before the recipient gets a sweet tooth attack, so stir clear of these treats or make sure they're tightly packed.
5. Before giving edible gifts, be conscious of any special dietary requirements of your friends. How many of us have cringed after finding out that the recipient of our jar of
pili nuts was sent to the hospital over the holidays due to high uric acid? Or that we went to the house of a friend bearing a fiesta ham only to know she turned vegetarian this year? If you are to stay friends throughout the Christmas season, it’s best to know if there are certain no-no’s when it comes to giving your friends an edible gift. Yes, it pays to know if your mother-in-law is a diabetic before going to her house with a box of
Brazo de Mercedes or if your friend has been frequenting meetings of the AA before heading off to his house with bottles of wine. Knowing these things means you value your friend, or your mother-in-law, and you won’t intentionally do anything to harm her. Unless of course, you actually do.
6. Opt to give healthy food items. If you’re thinking of giving someone special something to chew on this Christmas, choose those that promote good health. Instead of snack packs and chips, how about some tea leaves for brewing or a jar of pesto sauce with a pack of whole wheat spaghetti as a gift? If you intend to give cookies, why not choose to give wholesome, nut-free, and sugar-free but still delicious treats that you can get from the vegan bakers in town? Even a basket of fresh fruits would be most welcome as they come with fond wishes for the recipient’s good health.
Give the gift of health with organic food and condiments.
The thought of a friend baking cookies just for your exclusive gang of foodies is like a ray of sunshine to the lonely or cold-hearted soul. It’s always good to receive homemade treats or even just a humble tray of
pancit, if that’s your fool-proof signature dish. Making the food yourself means you were thinking of your friends while slaving over a hot stove. There are several easy recipes to make and you’d be surprised to know that the simplest personally-made food gifts would knock the Christmas socks off your loved one. This will also save you money as something homemade would always cost less than just buying a box of treats from a store. But at the same time, knowing that those cookies were made by your gentle, loving hands is priceless. Of course, if you run out of time and do not have the kitchen savvy to create delectable homemade treats, you always have the no-fail option of giving gift certificates that would entitle friends to a cup of coffee, a cake or a bucket of chicken. This is a good way to give them a treat and they can simply enjoy partaking of the benefits of your GC at a restaurant or store on their own sweet time. Indeed, the ritual of giving food as gifts will be around for years to come. Sharing meals during Christmas time is one of the traditions we will always cherish. Coming together and gathering ‘round the dining table at this time of the year over a simple festive meal, being thankful to the Lord for the blessing of His coming, is still the best way to celebrate the season. When you’re giving food as gifts to your loved ones, always keep in mind that the reason for giving is to honor the Lord. And that one of the best ways to pay tribute to Him is to share whatever we can not just with our loved ones but also to those who are less privileged than we are.
- GMANews.TV 
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