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Bibingka: Bebinca
Bibingka: Bebinca
Bibingka: Bebinca
Bibingka
Course Dessert, breakfast
milk
Cookbook: Bibingka
Media: Bibingka
Contents
1Preparation
2Origins
3In the Philippines
o 3.1Preparation
o 3.2Taste and texture
o 3.3Variants
4In Indonesia
o 4.1Variants
5See also
6References
7External links
Preparation[edit]
Bibingka Galapong cooked with slices of salted egg with toppings of grated coconut and kesong
puti (carabao cheese)
Origins[edit]
The shared origins of bibingka from the Philippines and Indonesia is widely
acknowledged. Especially given that the Indonesian bibingka is from Eastern Indonesia,
the regions closest to the Philippines with the most closely related cultures. [5][6]
Some authors have also proposed a connection between
the Goan dessert bebinca (or bibik) and the Southeast Asian bibingka due to the
similarity in names. They believe that the Portuguese may have introduced it to
Southeast Asia from Goa. But this is unlikely, given that the Philippines,
where bibingka is most widely known, was never a colony of Portugal. They are also
very different; the Goan dessert is a type of layered coconut pudding (similar to
Filipino sapin-sapin and Indonesian kue lapis), while bibingka is a simple baked
glutinous rice cake. The only similarity is that bebinca and bibingka both use coconut
milk.[5][6] Rice-based dishes are also far more diverse in Southeast Asia, where rice is an
ancient Austronesian staple crop. Thus it is more likely that the Portuguese introduced
the term to Goa from the Philippines, rather than the other way around. Similar to how
the art of windowpane oyster shell windows were also introduced from the Philippines to
Goa (they are still called capiz in Goa after the Philippine province of Capiz).[7]
In the Philippines[edit]
Bibingka is a traditional Philippine Christmas food. It is usually eaten along with puto
bumbóng right after the Simbang Gabi ('Night mass', the Filipino version of Misa de
Gallo).[8] They are sold outside of churches during the nine-day novena for worshippers
to eat for breakfast.
As of October 9, 2007, the town of Dingras, Ilocos Norte in the Philippines is expecting
a Guinness World Records certification after baking a kilometer-long
cassava bibingka made from 1,000 kilos of cassava and eaten by 1,000 residents.
[9]
Also, in the municipality of Baliuag, Bulacan, bibingka is served along
with salabat (ginger tisane) and the stores selling them serve them for free.
Preparation[edit]
Traditionally prepared bibingka in Baliuag, Bulacan
Bakery-made bibingka in banana leaf liner showing the distinctive notched edges from cupcake tin molds
The end result is a soft and spongy large flat cake that is slightly charred on both
surfaces and infused with the unique aroma of toasted banana leaves. Toppings are
then added, usually consisting of butter/margarine, sugar, cheese, or grated coconut.
Other more uncommon toppings include pinipig (pounded immature rice grains),
pineapple, and salted duck eggs.[10] A mixture of two or more of these toppings on a
single bibingka are also common. Bibingka with sumptuous amounts of toppings (and
ingredients) are sometimes called bibingka especial.
More modern methods involve bibingka being baked in an actual oven inside
a caldero or ordinary cake pans. The result lacks the distinctive smoky smell of charcoal
but is otherwise the same, especially if banana leaves are also used to line it. Mass-
produced bibingka in Philippine bakeries are also made using characteristic tin molds
that give them a crenelated shape similar to large puto or puto mamon (cupcakes).
Bibingka is best served hot. Large bibingka can be sliced (or torn) into several wedges
and can serve 4 to 6 people.
Taste and texture[edit]
Bibingka has a soft spongy texture similar to puto, another Philippine rice cake. It is
eaten hot or warm and is slightly sweet with a taste very similar to rice pudding. The top
and bottom surfaces (including the traditional banana leaf lining) are also usually
charred, adding to the flavor.
Variants[edit]
Bibingka is also used as a general term for desserts made with flour and baked in the
same manner. The term can be loosely translated to "[rice] cake". It originally referred
primarily to bibingka galapong, the most common type of bibingka made with rice flour.
Other native Philippine cakes have also sometimes been called bibingka. These may
use other kinds of flour, such as corn flour, cassava flour, or plain flour, and are usually
considered separate dishes altogether. [11] Bibingka can also be made with uncommon
ingredients, including chocolate.
Most varieties of bibingka differ only from the type of toppings they use. The common
types of bibingka are listed below:
Bibingka from Tagaytay, Cavite
Bibingka from Mindanao
Bibingkang kamoteng kahoy, better known as cassava cake, a variant made from cassava
In Indonesia[edit]
See also: Wingko