For a gathering (either big or small) and it is for one person at a time, it could call as a "pot luck" but because it is just exchanging foods to each other, I call it as exchanging food(s).  I miss it in a province or even in a city, where a close neighbor will just give and take each other. What a close neighbor cooks give to her close neighbor and vice-versa. It would be fair that way. Ha ha! Oops, it is just a sign of kindness and trust each other, you know. Friendship is a blessing and I believe exchanging food(s) is one way of bonding.

Lately (we have done this for quite long time already), a not-so-close place of neighborhood of mine did an exchanging of foods. I actually did not expect Te Claudine have something for me too. I just want to share my cooked maja blanca and nothing else. I don't expect return either. Her goodness is already fine with me. But then as unexpected she had my favorite cooked vegetables in coconut milk (also known as "ginataang-gulay" in Filipino foods) with pieces of sweet strawberry as well as raw bitter melon. I had bitter melon but don't want to spoil the moment, so I just take it. I miss it this way from my birth country, Philippines. I can now sense the essence of neighborhood (though we are not that so close-by) and friendship which makes me feel better here in the place where I am now. 

What about you, do you like the idea of exchanging favorite foods on your close neighbor or friends?