It’s hard when you start craving for your pasalubong favorites. Los Baños seems so far away when all you want is their Original Buko Pie or Mitz’s Cassava Cake. Maybe you’ve also been looking for Quezon’s famous Lucban Longganisa, but taking a six-hour drive just for a longga fix isn’t an option.

Thankfully, online shops like Probinsyana exist. This pandemic-born, women-owned small business was sparked by best friends Sofia and Trina’s love for provincial goodies and their desire to make these authentic goods more accessible to the Metro Manila public. Plus, they get to support various local communities, too!

“My friend Trina is from Laguna, so whenever she’d come to Manila I’d always be excited for her to bring the ginataang hipon and kesong puti. Our friendship always revolved around bonding over good food; that’s why eventually we thought of sharing this with everyone,” Sofia told Rappler.

Probinsyana is a one-stop shop for your provincial pasalubong needs, conveniently all under one delivery fee. They carry a handful of pasalubong favorites, all freshly-made by women and men from their respective communities. Among the best-sellers is, of course, Los Baños famous Original Buko Pie (P350) – a creamy and sweet baked pie made from young coconut with a buttery, flaky crust.

Another Los Baños, Laguna gem available is Mitz’s Cassava Cake (P350), a soft, chewy, and sweet cake made from cassava, coconut milk, and custard.

Representing Lumban, Laguna is a savory delicacy for fans of the creamy, soft, mild cheese – Lumban’s Kesong Puti (P300), made from carabao’s milk. They also have a tasty Ginataang Hipon (P400), made from small, crunchy freshwater shrimp stewed in coconut milk and spices.

Craving for sweet kakanin? Don’t forget to get Lumban’s Espasol (P200), which includes eight long, soft, and chewy kakanin coated with toasted rice flour and sweetened with coconut milk.

From the province of Quezon comes the famous Lucban Longganisa – orange, garlicky, and salty – in 250g (P300) and 500g (P500) frozen packs.

For something sweeter, Quezon’s San Antonio offers a 10-piece Suman sa Lihiya (P320) wrapped in banana leaves, made from glutinous rice and served with a delectable coconut cream and sugar syrup. Each order is delivered in a cute, woven bag handmade by the artisans of Luisiana, Laguna.

Other treats on Probinsyana’s menu include Sta. Cruz’ Bibingka Cheesecake (P1,450), Sta. Cruz Longganisa (P300), Picante Longganisa (P300), and Suman sa Ibos at Tsokolote Eh (P320).

Probinsyana also sells handwoven reusable bags and baskets made by local communities, such as the beautiful 3/4 Woven Bag (P650) made from water hyacinth and water lilies, or a sturdy Rattan Basket (P750). You can opt to have your pasalubong goodies delivered in your bought bag or baskets. Probinsyana’s packaging and presentation make for perfect gifts to give to family and friends!

Probinsyana delivers freshly-made goods to customers in Metro Manila and nearby areas every Saturday. Customers can place their orders via Probinsyana’s Facebook and Instagram pages. – Rappler.com