Bibingka, featured in The New York Times Magazine
Christmas is fast approaching and Filipinos are eager to eat their favorite Holidays treats like puto bumbong and bibingka. And even The New York Times Magazine knows why bibingka is a favorite in the Philippines.
The US-based magazine recently featured the Filipino rice cake. A story titled “The Crew Can Have a Little Coconut Cake” features owner Ray Luna, a Filipino coffee shop owner in Brooklyn. He even shares the recipe for bibingka.
“Ray Luna, who ran the much-loved coffee shop Mountain Province in Brooklyn, adapted the recipe from his lola (grandmother), using self-rising flour instead of rice flour and coconut cream for extra richness,” The New York Time Magazine captioned its post about the feature.
It also mentioned how bibingka is traditionally made. The rice cake is made with rice flour and coconut milk and baked in a tin pan lined with banana leaves in a terracotta coal oven.
“The cakes are delicious when made with just the requisite five ingredients, but for a touch of refinement, follow Luna's lead and bake in banana leaves, to infuse a green-tea scent. The final touch: a topping of macapuno, opalescent strands of the jellylike flesh of prized mutant coconuts,” the caption continued.
Although bibingka is available all year round, it is more known as a seasonal treat and widely available during the Christmas season. Vendors would line outside the church selling this rice cake waiting for churchgoers attending the early morning mass celebrations.
Bibingka is usually topped with slices of salted egg and cheese and brushed with soft butter or margarine after cooking. It is then served with freshly grated coconut meat.
In July bibingka was included in Taste Atlas's 100 Best Rated Cakes, placing 13th place on the list.
MEANWHILE, CHECK OUT THE FAVORITE DISHES SERVED IN FILIPINO GATHERINGS LIKE CHRISTMAS IN THE GALLERY BELOW.
