Excerpt from Balikbayan Magazine December-January 2012 issue
| TASTE BUDS |
Written by Rowena Diocton | Photography by Alvin John Adriano
Christmas season in the Philippines is one of the longest and most revered in the world. The young and the old anticipate the month of DECEMBER, inwardly wishing for prosperous days in the coming DAYs until January.
On the tiangges and fund-raising bazaars, litters of luminous bulbs are sold to spruce up usually bare windows, doors, and yards. And the Christmas trees never fail to draw a smile even from the weariest faces. Active window shoppers appear to walk in perfect rhythm with the melody and words of classic carols joyously looped in malls in the months approaching the “big day.” Still, another reason most Filipinos get riled up during the season is the scent of freshly cooked Christmas feast.
For Filipinos, the array of delectable dishes that succeed in pleasing the taste buds is partly due to a history of multicultural occupation. To this day, some provinces are coined with the specific type of food usually served on special occasions especially Christmas, fiestas, and New Year. The Ilocanos, for instance, are known for preparing their dishes with bagoong. The Pampanguenos’ sisig and kambing fares are renowned for their delicate preparation and fresh ingredients. Bicolanos’ spicy dishes like the Bicol Express is a favorite pulutan during all-nighters or drinking sessions.
For most parts of the Christmas season, the late night parties and early morning masses are the ones hoarded with a multitude of food vendors lodging on lots right outside the churches or along the highways. Who would turn down any of these season’s delicacies? With their out-of-the-oven scents wafting into one’s nose and sending images of soft bread topped with coconut sprinkles, each thought is triumphant in making anyone yearn for a bite.
HAMON
Filipinos are fond of pork dishes like lechon kawali, adobo, and sinigang. Comes Christmas season, every family’s table is made complete by that special jamon dulce or sweetened ham. Even for the old folks and figure-conscious individuals, the festive holiday is a time to take a mouthful of these soft, delectable, and juicy hamon slices.
BIBINGKA
Ask any Filipino about the first thing that comes to mind when you say Christmas and you’ll surely get someone shouting out, “Bibingka!”
This round and yellow rice cake is a product of mixing glutinous rice dough, coconut milk, eggs, sugar, and yeast. Cooked in a coal-heated mold called hurnuhan, the bibingka is browned by live coal above and underneath it. The result is a tasty smoky-flavored cake complemented with its banana leaf covering and best garnished with margarine, sugar, cheese, salted egg, and shredded coconut meat.
For full stories, get a copy of Balikbayan Magazine December-January 2012 issue
in bookstores nationwide.
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Balikbayan Magazine is published bi-monthly by Asian Journal Publications, Inc. Send subscription inquiries to subscription@asianjournalinc.com and advertising queries at advertising@asianjournalinc.com
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