Christmas is quickly approaching, and people are scrambling to buy presents, decorations, and other holiday-related stuff. Many people are also making plans for what they will prepare on Christmas Eve. Do you know that most Filipinos love eating? And they believed that sharing a meal with their family and friends would strengthen their bond. Some Filipino dishes during Christmas are signature dishes that are popular at every celebration in the Philippines. This Christmas season is a time to splurge on one’s favorite dishes and sweets. If you’re curious about Filipino culture or a Filipino who plans to cook food for Noche Buena, this list of Filipino dishes during Christmas will help you prepare such amazing and tasty food!
Read Also: 5 Affordable Ways to Prepare for the Christmas Season
1. Christmas ham
This dish signifies that the Christmas season has arrived, and some of the factories are starting to sell it by the end of November. The Filipino version of Christmas ham is cured, smoked pig leg with a fruity glaze typically pineapple that gives it a smoky-sweet flavor. And of course, it will not be completely delicious without Queso de Bola.
2. Queso de Bola
Also known as “ball of cheese” in English is an appetizer when eating Christmas ham. You can mix it into your pasta or add it to sandwiches. Queso de bola can be eaten by itself if you love cheese. Like Christmas ham, it will be sold by the end of November.
3. Filipino Style Spaghetti
One of the best pasta recipes is spaghetti a signature dish that is present at every gathering and is made with cheese, hot dogs, and ground meat. Kids love the sweetness of this spaghetti which is why it became popular at every celebration.
4. Pancit
Pancit is another excellent pasta recipe; similar to spaghetti, it is a staple at events like birthdays, fiestas, weddings, and even baptisms. It is known as “Pampahaba ng buhay” or Long life in the Philippines. It is only a saying among Filipinos and isn’t necessarily factual. Pancit is made with egg or rice noodles, pork, chicken, cow liver, carrots, and cabbage. It tastes best when you squeeze some calamansi.
5. Lumpiang Shanghai
This is not only a Filipino dish during Christmas but an all-time favorite dish of every Filipino. Do you know that there is a joke among Filipinos that if there is a celebration and Lumpiang Shanghai is not present at the table, it will not be considered a party? because everyone loves it, actually it runs out first amid celebrations most of the time. This dish is made of salt & pepper-seasoned round pork with minced carrots and garlic and it is wrapped in pre-made egg white crepes. To enjoy it more you can dip it in banana catsup or tomato catsup.
6. Barbecue
It could be pork or chicken, depending on your preference. It is a simple Filipino dish during Christmas because all you need to do is marinate with a homemade sauce that consists of soy sauce, banana ketchup, calamansi (Philippine lime) juice, garlic, brown sugar, and black pepper. The entire family may spend time together while grilling a meal, no matter how basic it may be.
7. Morcon
Most frequently served on Christmas and New Year’s Eve, this meal is one of the best seasonal cuisines. A morcon is a Filipino meat wrap loaded with sausage, hotdogs, pickles, cheese, eggs, and carrots. This dish is strongly advised you cook because it is believed that foods with a circular form bring prosperity in the upcoming year.
8. Pork Embutido
Many homes in the Philippines enjoy eating embutido. This sweet and salty delicacy can be found processed and canned in most shops and grocers, or it can be created at home by housewives, home business owners, and culinary enthusiasts. Pork and chicken can both be used in this recipe.
9. Rellenong Bangus
aside from meats, fish, or seafood, is one of the Filipino dishes during Christmas. Rellenong Bangus debone fish, and the inside is made from flour, salt, pepper, lemon juice, soy sauce, onions, carrots, green peas, raisins, oyster sauce, and other ingredients.
10. Sweet and Sour Fish
The sweet-and-sour sauce, known in the Philippines, is made from cornstarch, water, salt, sugar, ketchup, vinegar, and pineapple juice. The mixture is typically used as sarsa for dipping or dousing over meat or fish after being heated until it thickens. You can match this sauce with huge portions of fish like tilapia or meat.
11. Buttered Garlic Shrimp
Don’t overcook your shrimp because it tastes better when it is a little underdone. If you like seafood, you will adore this dish. Make a sauce by adding a lot of butter and crushed garlic to enhance flavor. Dive it in a chili sauce if you want the spicy flavor, or dip it in vinegar with salt and garlic. It is surely amazing.
12. Lechon Manok or Baboy
This is always present in all Filipino Christmas foods. You will appreciate your Lechon Manok more if you have a turbo broiler since you can choose a larger chicken to cook. You can also choose what spices, herbs, and other ingredients to put in, including lemongrass. Be inventive and incorporate some of your Filipino ideas. The meat is supple and tender, despite the shiny, black, and crispy skin. Regarding the Lechon Baboy, you may accomplish this as well, but only with certain cuts of pork, such as the belly, or, if you have the time and room in your home, you can make the whole pig.
13. Chicken Macaroni Salad
is considered the preferred dessert in the Philippines. It is made from chicken, macaroni pasta, pineapple pieces, raisins, carrots, onions, all-purpose cream, and mayo combined with semi-sweet, salty, and creamy flavors. It is frequently topped with cheese and served cold. Following a substantial lunch, Filipino desserts are ideal. Some individuals prefer to add condensed milk for a twist.
14. Fruit Salad
All-purpose cream, condensed milk, sago (tapioca pearls), nata de coco (chewy coconut jelly), kaong (cooked sugar palm fruit in syrup), and fruit cocktail (canned preserved fruits, typically pineapple, papaya, and cherries) are the main components of these sweet salads. After the ingredients have been combined, chill it to create a cold, and serve it to your family!
15. Leche Flan
This dish is also common on the table of Filipinos and It is one of the best desserts of Filipino dishes during Christmas. Like Lumpiang Shanghai everyone is looking for this in a celebration. Leche Flan is made with white sugar and caramel syrup on top, it is a sweet and creamy custard made with egg yolks, condensed milk, and evaporated milk. To give it extra flavor, lemon zest is also included.
16. Puto Bumbong
During the nine days leading up to Christmas, known as simbang gabi, a series of the evening or early morning masses are held. This is when puto bumbong, a traditional Filipino Christmas dish, is typically offered near churches. This sweet treat is typically served in groups of three on a banana leaf with butter or margarine, coconut shavings, and muscovado sugar on top.
These purple rice cakes were each steam-cooked in a bumbong, a brief, narrow bamboo tube. It used to be made with pirurutong, an heirloom black glutinous rice variety that turns purple when cooked, but nowadays standard glutinous rice and purple food coloring are used in its place.
Read Also: Filipino Christmas Kakanin to Try During Misa De Gallo and Noche Buena
17. Bibingka
Bibingka is another classic Filipino rice cake that is frequently sold close to the church during simbang gabi, much like puto bumbong. It’s a well-liked food during the Christmas season. However, you can find it all year in conventional markets and even malls. Typically covered with cheddar, mozzarella slices, and coconut strips, this slightly sweet, full-flavored rice cake has a salty-sweet flavor.
The dish is often prepared in a clay pot lined with a banana leaf, with charcoal placed over and beneath the pot to cook the contents evenly, and is made of coconut milk, eggs, sugar, margarine, and glutinous rice powder. This just some of the Filipino delicacies if you want to try more recipes read Filipino Christmas Kakanin to Try During Misa De Gallo and Noche Buena
The Philippines is a nation with an enormous range of foods that are enjoyed at family gatherings. Christmas celebrations in this country continue to be the finest when traditional meals are made and shared with loved ones at their own homes and condominiums. While enjoying food with your family, it is nice to have a comfortable home. Bria Homes offer not only a comfortable home but also an affordable home for every Filipino. Visit our website and social media pages on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tiktok, Youtube, and other sites to learn more.
Written by Maria Joecel Porteros
