On Christmas Eve, what is known as Noche Buena, literally “Good Night,” occurs. For Filipinos, this is the night of the year when they host their closest friends and relatives for lavish Christmas delicious cuisine and some family bonding activities. This often happens after the Misa de Gallo, the late-night Christmas eve mass service.
As one of the few times of year when the complete family gets together, Filipinos often get in the festive spirit by renting out a venue or a condo in Philippines near famous tourist spots and making unique Noche Buena delicacies that everyone may partake in.
If you’re still trying to decide what to make for your happy family gatherings this holiday season, then you might want to consider these delectable treats from Pampanga, which is known as the “Culinary Capital of the Philippines.
Christmas in the Culinary Capital: Festive Foodie Delights in Pampanga
The Spanish colonization of the Philippines is the genesis of Kapampangan food. The Spanish imparted culinary skills to the native Kapampangans during their time as the first province of Luzon. From here, the Kapampangans were able to carry their knowledge and expertise down through the ages.
These days, the province has recently been dubbed the Culinary Capital of the Philippines because most of the greatest Filipino cuisines originate in Pampanga, aside from the fact that Kapampangans are famously passionate about and skilled at cooking.
Below are a few genuine Kapampangan delicacies that you may consider adding to your holiday dinner throughout the Christmas season.
A. Appetizers or Snacks
1. Tamales
Delicious kapampangan tamales are a common breakfast, lunch, or snack option. It is also available for purchase at food stands after the evening liturgy (Simbang Gabi) on Christmas Eve.
This rice cake known as tamales is bursting with flavor which makes it an amazing food to try this holiday season. To make it, you mix crushed rice and coconut milk into a paste. Then, you add palabok sauce, shredded chicken, salted or boiled egg, fried garlic, and almonds. The aromatic steaming process, which involves wrapping it in banana leaves, imparts a delectable flavor.
2. Pancit Luglug
Pancit Luglug is like Pancit Palabok with savory sauce and an abundance of toppings, although the rice noodles in Pancit Luglug are swapped out for cornstarch. To make Pancit Luglug, the noodles are dipped in boiling water many times until they are cooked, which is different from other pancit in the Philippines.
B. Main Dishes
3. Biringhe
In Kapampangan cuisine, biringhe is the equivalent of paella. Its main ingredients are curry, chicken, vegetables, coconut milk, and glutinous rice. Similar to paella, this meal is best served in a large pot so that diners can easily share it, making it the best value for money especially for large gatherings. Biringge is also a common dish to offer at festive events like fiestas.
4. Burong Tabang Talangka
Fermented rice with crab roe, or burong tabang talangka, is a delicacy in some regions of Pampanga. Fresh river crabs preserved in salt make up Burong Tabang Talangka and it is most often used as a seasoning or in fried rice.
5. Kilawin
If you’re looking for some delicious Pampanga cuisine, you have to try this meal. Kilawin of Kapampangan is a perfect steamed rice partner. It is a pig and liver stew cooked with vinegar and a variety of spices.
6. Murcon or Morcon
Another delicious food for steamed rice is morcon or Filipino style meatloaf. The Kapampangan variation calls for both pork and beef crushed into the mixture. Enhancing its flavors even further are boiled eggs, chorizo, peppers, cheese, and raisins. One may find that the flesh of Kapampangan murcon is succulent and full of flavor since it is cooked slowly in its own fat.
7. Bulanglang Kapampangan
It resembles sinigang, a sour broth stew famous in the Philippines, but the guava, not the tamarind, is what gives the soup its wonderful sour flavor. Crushing the guava is one way to thicken the soup. Traditional ingredients include pork, milkfish, or shrimp in addition to local veggies like taro, okra, kangkong, green chilies, tomatoes, and onions.
8. Sipo Egg
The dish has a creamy sauce tossed with quail eggs and a variety of veggies. It can be eaten as a side dish or with rice or bread. Other areas in the Philippines also quickly embraced it since it is simple to produce and budget-friendly.
9. Sisig
Angeles City in Pampanga, known as the “Sisig Capital of the Philippines,” is famed for its sisig, a flavorful dish that Pampanga takes pride of. Chops from the pig’s snout, cheeks, ear, and face are what make up the meal, mixed with chicken liver. Peppers and calamansi, a native citrus fruit, provide extra flavor to these authentic Kapampangan dishes.
10. Tidtad
A Kapampangan adaptation of dinuguan, Tidtad is a thick and flavorful stew that utilizes less blood, with some recipes calling for bits of coagulated blood rather than the liquid form.
B. Kapampangan Dessert
11. Sanikulas
Mexico, Pampanga is home to the famous Sanikulas or Panecillos de San Nicolas cookies. Now hailed as a top Pampanga dessert, it has arrowroot, sugar, coconut milk, and butter.
12. Tibok-tibok
Pampanga delicacies tikbok-tibok is similar to maja blanca and is another dish that dessert lovers could like. Grated corn and coconut give this velvety pudding its distinctive taste. Steamed till cooked, it consists of carabao milk, sugar, and corn starch.
13. Turonnes De Casuy
The Filipino nougat confection known as turonnes de casuy is a take on the classic Spanish turrón. Nuts, honey, and egg white make it up, and then it is wrapped in edible rice paper.
This Christmas season, you may indulge in a variety of Kapampangan cuisine, exotic dishes like stuffed frog, its rich culinary culture with the several Filipino restaurants available in the province. Nearby eateries and shops include Atching Lillian Borromeo, Burquillos Ng Apung, Ocampo Lansang Delicacies, Abe’s Farm, and Everybody’s Cafe.
Get your first condo investment in Asterra Pampanga now, treat your eyes to various yuletide delights from the Christmas Capital of the Philippines, and fill your stomachs with authentic Kapampangan cuisine for the whole year!
If you’re looking for a condo for sale in Philippines that is just outside Metro Manila, then Asterra Pampanga is a great one to consider. Located in San Fernando, Pampanga, you can easily savor the delicious dishes on your Pampanga food trip this holiday season with this affordable condominium.
Feel free to drop us a message to learn more about this mid-rise condo for sale and start your first condo investment with Asterra.
