Filipino Desserts

What would happen to a festive Christmas celebration without any food served on your dining table?  Food is an integral part of Christmas in the Philippines and anywhere in the world.  Filipinos have long accepted the Christmas tradition of celebrative elements meshed together. It is a product of adapted elements from other cultures: the food and fire crackers from Chinese culture; Christmas ideas from Spain and Christianity hence “Belen” and Novena Masses at the break of dawn; the American concept of Christmas tree , Santa Claus, greeting cards and sunny wrapped presents.  Let’s discover how these are elements blends perfectly accompanied by a unique and sweet flavor of Christmas food in Filipino-style.

What can you usually find on a midnight table during Christmas in the Philippines?  Christmas is often spent with Filipino food whatever the family loves and whatever they can afford. The spirit of Christmas is often unaffected whether they can afford delectable dishes or an average line of Filipino food and dishes.  A night of delicious goodness known as Noche Buena is a midnight meal commonly shared by the nuclear family, not commonly shared with guests after the midnight Mass.  A typical yet special Christmas in the Philippines is nothing without the usual fare of the sticky sweet rice derived Filipino desserts and so many more.  It is definitely from the indigenous tradition having many rice cakes in the forms of biko, suman, puto maya, putong lusong, tupig patupat, linapet.  It is no surprise to taste assorted kinds of rice cakes since the harvest was celebrated with rice.

Simbang Gabi Sweet Treats

Out of the many Filipino desserts, there are two rice-based delicacies that remain closely associated with Christmas - bibingka and puto bumbong.  Once you see them cooked and sold on the streets in the crisp cold night breeze, it signals that the yuletide season is near.  Back in the old days, these delicacies are commonly sold near church gates for mass goers to take home when the simbang gabi is concluded.  At the present time, these Filipino snacks are readily sold in every street corner at around September and could be the whole year round in some places.  For us Filipinos, nothing beats having bibingka and puto bumbong with native hot chocolate or coffee on the break of morning after Simbang Gabi or midnight mass.

Modern Filipino desserts

Christmas season especially in the urban areas is often compromised much more in families where wives are also career woman who juggles her time between work and family.  This sprouted the availability of delicacies as staples of Spanish bakeshops like Dulcinea, giant ensaymadas as house specialty of Hizon’s, one of the oldest surviving bakeshops in Manila, ensaymadas of mall-established Goldilocks and in other local bakeshops.  The native rice cakes can be found in markets, bakeshops, hotel cake shops and restaurants.  Fruitcakes are also made and sold in bake shops, coffee shops and restaurants usually packaged in nice and fancy boxes given as gifts or served during the noche buena.  Some shops are especially busy during the Christmas as makers of sweets - pastilles de leche, turrones - who secures sufficient stocks for feasting and gift-giving.

The essence of Christmas is family time along with the food shared in noche buena, a part of Filipino traditions.  The sweet and rich Christmas delicacies have been integrated into the menu of hotels and restaurants during Christmas Eve dinners or Christmas lunches.  Guests and visitors who happen to be in the Philippines in Christmas time can taste and savor these delicious Filipino desserts.    Traveling and visiting another foreign country are all about experiencing how the locals lead their lifestyles and traditions.  Christmas being one of those traditions and markings as one of the Filipino’s most precious statements as what they genuinely are.

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Welcome to our Christmas special where we will feature Filipino dessert recipes and interesting facts about Christmas in the Philippines. Read our first article here on www.filipinodesserts.net.

It is especially true and proudly proclaimed that Filipinos is the “Land of Fiestas”. Christmas season is the most well-known festive fiesta in the Philippines. This country has by far the longest and merriest Christmas season complete with Christmas carols heard as early as September and lovely, colorful Christmas decorations hung up on display whether at homes or at stores. The Christmas season officially starts on December 16 with the attendance at the first of nine pre-dawn masses and continues until the first Sunday of January, Feast of the Three Kings.

The Philippines is the only Asian country to be predominated by Christians which makes Roman Catholic as a religion followed by majority of its people. Christmas day, therefore, is a special and important family affair for most Filipinos as a Christmas tradition. It is a time for family, for sharing and giving and a time for food, fun and fellowship. Christmas Eve is a night without sleep and continuous celebration which Filipino families anticipate for the clock to strike 12 midnight. In some regions where fireworks are allowed, most families greet Christmas at the strike of 12 midnight with sparks and blasts of colorful and lively fireworks.

Noche Buena

The Noche Buena is a tradition inherited form Spanish ancestors where multitude Filipino culinary delight adds rich aroma and appetizing flavor in a Filipino home. Noche Buena is a sumptuous Filipino meal usually partaken by twelve midnight. This feast usually follows after the entire family has attended a late evening church service or Misa de Aguinaldo about an hour or so before midnight. Misa de Aguinaldo or a Holy Mass is being celebrated to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. A typical noche buena prepared on the table consists of a main course of Filipino food and Filipino desserts. The entrees of Filipino foods are lechon (roasted suckling pig), fried chicken, lumpia, chicken or pork adobo, rice among many others. Filipino desserts include halo-halo, rice cakes, pastries, cakes and so much more. After all, Filipinos are known for their love of sweets regardless of how old or young they may be. Typical drinks for all ages are soda, fruit punch and juice. Also included in the list of drinks are wine and beer for those who look forward to an intoxicating Christmas!

The Noche Buena could last until four o’clock in the morning noon Christmas day. Most Filipino families will again attend mass or church service during the morning. It is during Christmas day that some godchildren (inaanak) visit their godfather (ninong) and godmother or (ninang). Christmas day is also a perfect time to hold grand reunions of extended family clan members such as grandparents, grandchildren, cousins, uncles and aunts. It is an opportunity for families to get together, open Christmas gifts, singing Christmas carols and story-telling. In some charitable homes, it is also a way to welcome the less fortunate such as orphans or poor people to join the Christmas celebration. Christmas carolers often visit house to house to raise funds for civic organizations and are given donations in cash or kind.

Christmas is a day of family closeness and everyone in the family and clan wishes good cheer and glad tidings to one another. The Christmas spirit of generosity prevails and the love for family and God is emphasized all because of the Christmas traditions that Filipinos adheres to. All of these traditions and beliefs make up Philippines’ longest yet merriest Christmas season known in the world.

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