Bibingka. A Cebu Delicacy
While Cebu is known for picturesque natural sceneries and rich cultural heritage, it is also a home to scrumptious food delicacies that will surely satisfy one’s appetite and leave people – both tourists and natives, craving for more. One of these delis is the famous rice cake of Cebu, the sweet and aromatic ‘Bibingka’ or ‘Bingka’.
Comfort food from Cebu
Bibingka is made by mixing milled glutinous rice flour, sugar, coconut milk, and butter. They are traditionally cooked by placing them in terracotta or inside metal ovens heated with firewood or coals. When cooked, the air gets filled with their sweet smell making one just close their eyes. What makes these bibingka more aromatic is the banana leaf used as mold linings. The smell of heated banana leaf adds this nostalgic fragrance to these sweet and comforting delis. And yes, these are best eaten when hot! For the best eating experience, indulge in them with your bare hands. As one cuts the bibingka into smaller portions, more of its aroma comes out and each bite offers this sweet and airy consistency that feels so good and light to the mouth.
Bibingka – a Christmas delicacy
But do you know that these delectables are associated with the Christmas season? When the Yuletide season comes around, Filipinos are devoted to going to church masses at dawn, also known as ‘Misa de Gallo’. Bibingka vendors then prepare these rice cakes as early as 4:00 in the morning to sell them to Church goers. So, when Christmas is already in the air, so is the aroma of Bibingka! Nonetheless, as both tourists and locals keep coming for more of these sweet delights, one can buy Bibingka all year round whether as a snack or for ‘pasalubong’, the Filipino’s culture of bringing treats for families and friends after going out of town.
Where to find a best bibingka?
It is also worth mentioning that Bibingkas come in many versions depending on where you are in Cebu – north or south. Because of that, there are also debates among foodies as to which Bibingka version is the best! Some claim the Bibingka in Mandaue holds the title, while those who have tasted the Bibingka of Catmon would also dare to disagree. Well, both versions are surely mouthwatering. So, when you get to travel to Cebu, make sure to get a taste of these Bibingkas! When you’re traveling northbound, you will easily notice the oven smoke from the stalls lined up along the roadside in Catmon. Make sure to stop and drop by, and you’ll surely end up buying more than you expected, both for yourselves and as ‘pasalubong’ for your friends and loved ones back at home!
Author: Krystal Nudalo (USC’s student)
