Traditional Filipino Christmas food recipes with an international twist

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A great thing about most traditional Filipino Christmas foods is that they can be reinvented and transformed in many ways to fit your taste buds. You can easily add one ingredient to a dish or change the way it is cooked, to make it more exciting and flavorful. You can even add ingredients from other countries or use international cooking practices to make them more unique.

If you wish to add international twists to your classic Filipino Christmas Food, check out the list below:

Lumpiang Shanghai with Mango Sriracha Sauce

During the holidays almost everyone’s mom or tita makes their own version of lumpiang shanghai. One way to make yours more special than the others is by adding Thai flavors to it. Swap the usual sweet and sour dip with mango sriracha to make it tangier and zestier. Packed with mango chunks, this sauce will surely be a hit on your Christmas feast. 

Here's the the full recipe

Chicken Relleno

Add a Spanish twist to your roasted chicken this holiday, by turning it into a relleno. Packed with ground pork, carrots, onions, and pineapples, this flavorful dish is best served with steamed rice and gravy or ketchup. 

Here's the the full recipe

Bibingka Pancakes

After waking up early to attend Misa de Gallo, your family deserves a delicious breakfast. Why not turn a traditional bibingka into an American-style pancake and serve it to them? All you have to do is exchange the galapong batter with pancake mix, and fry the mixture in a non-stick pan instead of cooking it in a bibingka oven.

Here's the the full recipe

Green Tea Leche Flan

The traditional leche flan is already an excellent holiday dessert, but if you want you can still make it healthier and tastier. To do this, just add green tea powder to your leche flan mixture. The green tea adds a Japanese twist to the dessert and makes it good for your body since it is an antioxidant.

Here's the the full recipe

Tiramisu Graham Cake

Graham cake, also known as refrigerator cake, is a Filipino favorite holiday dessert. It is usually made with tropical fruits and cream, but to make it more special and sophisticated you can tweak it into a classic Italian dessert. Instead of fruits, layer the graham cake with a coffee and mascarpone cream mixture to turn it into a creamy tiramisu. Don’t forget to top it with cocoa powder to balance the strong flavor of coffee. 

Here's the the full recipe

Make your Christmas feast more memorable with these dishes. Your family and friends will surely be impressed when you served them these traditional Filipino foods with international twists.