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December 24, 2025 | 12:37pm
MANILA, Philippines — Talk about native delicacies during Christmastime, and one of the first things that come to mind is Bibingka.
Traditionally made from glutinous rice that has been soaked in water for hours or until soft and then ground, Bibingka is believed to be native to the Philippines but its real origin remains uncertain.
Some say it is from Indonesia, while yet others believe it originated from Indonesia or even India. Even the word Bibingka answers to the names "bebinca," "bebinka," and "bibik," which all refer to a layered cake with Portuguese origins.
This same "bebinca" cake can be found in Portuguese Goa as well as Macau. While there continues to be a dispute on exactly where Bibingka came from, all theories agree that it is of Southeast Asian origin.
At least in the Philippines, Bibingka has pre-colonial origins as a simply rice cake, with its name coming from the root word "bingka," which means "to shape."
Originally cooked in clay pots lined with banana leaves, with heat coming from burning coal both from below and above the Bibingka mold itself, this baked rice cake has evolved over the decades, even centuries from the time it was first cooked.
It significantly changed when the Spanish colonization took place in the 16th century, since the colonizers introduced new ingredients, such as eggs, milk and wheat flour, and these were added to the Bibingka to create a richer, creamier and more delicious rice cake.
Bibingka is closely associated with the Christmas celebration in the Philippines. In tandem with Puto Bumbong, it is the most favorite Christmas rice cake that is eaten for breakfast, merienda and, yes, dessert, too.
Somehow, the season isn't complete without a taste of Bibingka, Puto Bumbong, and Tsokolate Eh. The latter is a rich, thick chocolate drink that it pairs so perfectly with, especially after attending Simbang Gabi or Misa de Gallo either in the evening or at dawn.
Related: How to keep your Bibingka simple and classic
The main ingredient of Bibingka is malagkit, or glutinous rice, ground into flour. Glutinous rice flour is now conveniently available in the supermarket, so no need to soak and grind rice unless you really want to.
While most still cook it in clay pots, there are now modern contraptions, such as ovens, oven toasters, and multi-tiered standing electric ovens that mimic the cooking technique used in cooking Bibingka but make it easier and faster to cook the rice cake now.
Some commercial Bibingka makers sometimes even use plain flour to cook Bibingka, which, unfortunately, affects the taste and quality of the rice cake.
Lined with banana leaves while cooking, Bibingka creates an irresistible "burnt" banana leaf aroma that makes you hunger for a taste of it, and it is usually topped with slices of cheese and salted eggs and served with freshly grated coconut, butter, and muscovado sugar.
Modern Bibingka has likewise adopted flavors, such as ube, and loaded the rice cake with even more toppings, such as leche flan, halayang ube, caramel sauce, and chocolate.
Today, different variants of Bibingka exist apart from the original Bibingkang Galapong. These include:
- Bibingkang Malagkit, which is very similar to Biko
- Bibingkoy, baked mini balls filled with sweetened mung beans and served with a coconut cream sauce with sago or tapioca
- Buko Bibingka, cooked with strings of fresh coconut
- Bibingkang Mandaue, originating from Mandaue, Cebu, and cooked with tuba or palm wine or yeast
- Royal Bibingka, originating from Vigan, Ilocos Sur, and is a cassava Bibingka cupcake topped with margarine and cheese
Bibingka continues to evolve with time, and each new version is strongly embraced, accepted and enjoyed. Yet the traditional Bibingka will always have a special place in everyone’s heart, especially during Christmastime.
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