Guests at a wedding reception in Tagaytay City, Philippines, received uncommon party favors — “expensive” bags of onions — on Tuesday from a newlywed couple.
A video of the event shows the couple, Jayson and Lorellei, standing among an abundance of onions accumulated for their guests to take home, according to Manila Bulletin.
Wedding coordinator Aldrik Gohel explained that the bride’s family has an onion business in San Juan, Ilocos Sur.
“Onions are expensive,” he said, the outlet reported.
As the valuable vegetable is costly in the Philippines, the couple thought of giving it away as a gift to attendees. Gohel says attendees stood in line, amused as they anticipated their “aromatic party favors,” the outlet noted. (RELATED: Sen. Jack Reed Calls For Investigation Into Egg Price Spike)
A total of 150 kilograms of onions were distributed during the wedding.
In the Philippines, the onion is considered the country’s new gold, according to NPR. Twice the price of meat, one kilogram of onions retails for almost $11.
“We used to buy two or three kilos a day. Now we only used half of one because onions are 9 to $10 a kilo,” eatery owner Armelita Rayos told NPR.
Within the past year, super typhoons destroyed tens of billions of pesos worth of onion crop, according to WION. Consumer prices surged to 8.1% in December last year — a 14-year high. Customs officials have recently cracked down on smugglers, seizing $310,000 USD worth of white onions hidden in clothing shipments on Dec. 23. Two days prior, red onions worth $364,000 USD were seized, smuggled in pastry boxes.