Traditional Filipino Foods For New Year's Eve

Filipinos are one of the many nationality that really celebrate and welcome the new year in a festive (noisiest?) way. With fireworks, firecrackers, lights, sounds and food all over the place, it just really defines how Filipinos welcome the brand new year to come.

For most of the time, foods are the center of the attraction and occasion. As we all know, each and every nation do have their very own traditional foods that are "must have" at the table during new year celebration. Below is a list of traditional Filipino foods linked to their recipes in case you wanted to try them out for your very own new year's eve celebration.

12 Round Fruits
Filipinos prepare and displays 12 rounds fruits of different kinds at the table to signify 12 months of the year. The fruits (sometimes including vegetables) may vary in size and a bit in shape because having 12 rounded ones can be a tough one to complete so some may end up having mangoes and bananas which are not circular in shape. And oh, some prepare 13 fruits instead of just 12 (if you know the reason, please state it at the comment section, thanks).

Colorful Salads
It can be fruit salad, vegetable salad, chicken macaroni salad or buko salad. The more colorful it is, the better because it signify a much more livelier and colorful life for the year to come.

Traditional Delicacies
Biko, Maja Blanca, Calamay or anything that is made of glutinous or sticky rice is a must have too. It is said that it can bring or attract and make good luck to stick around for the people at home or anyone who will eat it when 12 midnight (new year) hits.

What's Special With Filipino Dish?

Filipino dishes are one of the many most sought after foods and recipes in the world. This blog will serve as an online journal detailing each and every Filipino recipe that you will simply love or you love the most.

The foods are simply one of its kind because of its authenticity, good taste and uniqueness. Many foreigners who came in the Philippines and those who just visited or spend some time on some of the finest Filipino restaurants simply love the Filipino style of cooking.

Pinoy recipes are truly timeless and priceless as how Filipino defines it. Filipinos do have the world famous foods like the Chicken Adobo, Sinigang, Tinola and many more.!

Pichi Pichi

Pichi-pichi is an authentic Filipino dessert or delicacy. Pichi Pichi is made from coconut and cassava or kamoteng kahoy. This is considered as one of many variants of the famous "puto" of the Filipino people. Pichi pichi originated from the province of Quezon.

Pichi Pichi

Some rights reserved by jamkablam

Macapuno Tart

Macapuno tart is one of many variants of Filipino delicacies. Check below the simple macapuno tart recipe for you to follow.

Macapuno Tart Ingredients:

* 6 cups all-purpose flour
* 1/4 cup white sugar
* 1 tsp. fine salt
* 1 1/2 shortening or margarine (chilled)
* 1 cup cold water

Binalay

Binalay is another kind of authentic Filipino kakanin from Ilagan, Isabela. This is similar to "Palitao" which is more sticky and squeezed. Binalay is made of glutinous rice and panocha.

Suman Binalay Image Via TripWow.TripAdvisor.Com

Binalay Recipe Ingredients:

* 1 liter glutinous rice (malagkit), soaked in water overnight
* 1/2 cup water
* 15 pcs banana leaves, 7"x7"
* 4 cups coconut extract
* 1 glass water
* 1 pair big size panocha (store bought)

Binalay Recipe Cooking Procedure:

1). Grind soaked glutinous rice finely (remove excess water before grinding).

2). Mix ground glutinous rice and 1/2 cup water.

3). Mold 2 to 3 grams mixture and wrap in banana leaves greased with coconut oil.

4). Put in steamer until cooked.

Binalay Sauce:

1). Cook coconut milk in pan until latik turns brown.

2). Remove half latik and separate little oil for banana leaves.

3). Add water and panocha into pan with half latik and coconut oil.

4). Continue cooking until panocha melts (sauce thickens when removed from fire).

5). Add remaining latik to mixture.

Tupig Filipino Delicacy

Tupig is a native delicacy from Pangasinan. Tupig is made with glutinous rice and grated coconuts wrapped in wilted banana leaves and cooked over live coals. Aside from being one of the specialties in Pangasinan, making and cooking Tupig is also one of the most important source of livelihood in the province.

Here is a basic Tupig recipe that you can try at home.

Espasol

Espasol is one of the most favorite delicacy and must have pasalubong by Filipinos. Espasol is a cylinder-shaped Filipino rice cake originating from the province of Laguna. It is made from rice flour cooked in coconut milk and sweetened coconut strips, dusted with toasted rice flour.

Espasol Image By kitchendash.blogspot.com

Espasol Recipe Ingredients:

* 1 cup malagkit (glutinous rice)
* 4 cups rice flour, toasted until light brown
* 2 cups sugar
* 1 cup coconut milk
* Anise seeds
* 1-1/2 cups toasted shredded coconut

Espasol Cooking Instructions - How To Make Espasol:

1). Boil malagkit (glutinous rice).

2). Place sugar, anise seeds and coconut milk in a saucepan; let boil until thick.

3). Add toasted shredded coconut and cook for 3 minutes.

4). Add boiled malagkit (glutinous rice), stir and cook until thick.

5). Remove from fire and add 3 cups toasted rice flour.

6). Mix with a wooden spoon and pass through a cornmeal grinder.

7). Divide into 2 parts and roll (about 2-1/2-inch in diameter). using the rest of the rice flour for rolling.

8). Slice into 1/2-inch thick pieces.

Note: Image may vary with the end result of this recipe.

Buko Pie

Buko Pie is the specialty of Laguna Province, Philippines. It is a traditional Filipino pastry style, young-coconut-filled pie. It was one of the most famous and must-try Filipino dish. It is made with young coconuts (buko).

Champorado

Champorado (Cham-Poh-Ra-Doh) is a rice porridge flavored with chocolate, sweetened with sugar and finished with evaporated milk. It is also called Rice Chocolate Pudding or Rice Chocolate Porridge.

Champorado at Tuyo Image Credit - energychef.blogspot.com

Champorado Recipe Ingredients:

* 1 cup sweet sticky rice (white glutinous rice)
* 6-8 cups water (more or less depending on your preferred consistency)
* 1 cup white sugar
* 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
* evaporated milk (optional)

Champorado Recipe Cooking Instructions - How To Make Champorado:

1). Mix all ingredients together (except milk) in a large pan. Place a dry and clean cover.

2). Put on high heat until boiling for 3 minutes. Mix well.

3). Put on low heat for 30-40 minutes (still covered). Mix well to prevent sticking.

4). Serve hot with evaporated milk on top.

Champorado is usually served for breakfast or as an afternoon snack. Best served with deep-fried salted fish (tuyo) on top.

Sapin Sapin Filipino Dessert

Sapin-sapin is a layered glutinous rice and coconut dessert in Filipino cuisine. It is made from rice flour, coconut milk, sugar, water, and coloring with coconut flakes sprinkled on top. Sapin-sapin means "layers" and the dessert is recognizable for its layers, each colored separately.

Sapin Sapin recipe is made from rice flour or rice that has been soaked overnight then crushed into a paste, sometimes yams or yam flour, coconut milk and sugar.

Each layer is tinted (the bottom one a deep ube-like purple, the middle a golden yolk yellow,the top one white), and steamed before the next layer is added.

Polvoron

Polvoron Recipe And Cooking Instruction

Polvoron is really popular in the Philippines, especially during Christmas. A number of local variants on the traditional polvorón recipe have been made. These include polvorón with casuy (cashew), polvorón with pinipig (beaten young green rice), and even strawberry polvorón and cookies-and-cream polvorón.

Polvoron is powdered milk candy, made of flour, sugar butter and powdered milk. The flour is toasted, all the ingredients are mixed and shaped into round or oval-shaped molds. It is believe that making polvoron started during the American occupation to use up the huge amount of powdered milk brought in by the Americans.

Polvoron Image Credit - Skip To Malou

Polvoron over the years has become one of the most loved sweet Filipino delicacy.

Polvoron Recipe Ingredients:

* 4 cups of all purpose flour
* 2 cups powdered milk
* 1 1/2 cup melted butter
* 2 cups sugar

Also Needs:

* Japanese paper or cellophane
* Polvoron Molder - if you live overseas, polvoron moulder may be available in some Pinoy Stores in your area. There are round and oval moulders and they can be available in regular size or extra large.

Polvoron Cooking Instruction - How To Make Polvoron:

1). On a pan, toast flour in a moderate heat for about 15 minutes, or until light brown, stir constantly to avoid burning.

2). Remove the pan and transfer the mixture on a big bowl.

3). Add the powdered milk, toss for another 3-4 minutes.

4). Add sugar and melted butter. Mix well.

5). Fill the mold with the mixture, press it hard by using a spoon, then release it, if it is still too loose, add more butter or olive oil. Make sure that you could pick up the polvoron without it crumbling straight away.

6). Place the polvoron in a airtight container, chill in the fridge until firm.

7). Carefully wrap the polvoron individually in japanese paper or cellophane.

Polvoron is best eaten after days of refrigeration.

You can also check out Skip To Malou's polvoron recipe via this blog post.

Halayang Ube

Halayang ube is a dessert made from boiled mashed ube (purple yam) mixed with coconut milk, evaporated milk, and sugar. In the olden days, a fine consistency was achieved by passing the mixture through a piece of sinamay. With its bright color, it is a favorite at fiestas. Also, it is typically served during Christmas season.

Ube Halaya (Purple Yam)

Some rights reserved by dollierv

Suman Recipe And Varieties

Suman is a rice cake made from glutinous rice cooked in coconut milk, and often steamed in banana leaves. It is served wrapped in buli or buri palm (Corypha) leaves and usually eaten sprinkled with sugar.

Suman is a major part of Filipino foods and delicacies. It is commonly being shared or given as a gift and/or pasalubong.

There are so many variations of suman. The most common suman varieties are listed and described below.

Suman sa Binuo - The glutinous rice is soaked, milled, mixed with coconut milk and sugar, wrapped in the leaves of the Tagbak plant, and steamed. The leaves give this variety of suman a uniquely balmy, minty flavor, and the suman itself is chewier than the whole-rice varieties.

Suman sa Ibus - The glutinous rice is washed, and is then mixed with salt and coconut milk. The mixture is poured over pre-made coil containers of young palm leaves called Ibus, and fixed with the leaf's central shaft.

Suman sa Inantala - The ingredients are similar to the Ibus variety, but the Inantala differs in that the mixture itself is cooked, and then poured over a small square mat cut from banana leaves.

Suman sa Lihiya - Soaked glutinous rice mixed with coconut milk is treated with lye, wrapped in banana leaves, and boiled for two hours. It is served especially with either of two varieties of latik.

Suman Sa Lihiya Image Via goonswithspoons.com

Here is a simple and very basic Suman Sa Ibus recipe ingredients and cooking instruction.

Suman Sa Ibus Ingredients:

* 3 cups malagkit rice
* 2 teaspoons salt
* 2 cups thick coconut milk

Suman sa Ibus Cooking Instructions - How To Make Suman:

1). Soak malagkit in water for an hour or ntil grains are swollen. Drain.

2). Add salt nd coconut milk. Mix well.

3). Prepare ibus then fill with rice mixture. Seal tubes and tie with strips of the ibus.

4). Arrange the suman in a big saucepan and cover with water. Cover the pot and
boil for 2 hours or until cooked.

5). Serve with sugar or ripe mango.

How to wrap a Suman Sa Ibus:

* Fold the end of the buri leaf by 1 ½ inches.
* Fold the bottom edge into a triangle.
* Start rolling up the buri leaf in an overlapping manner.
* Roll up the buri to make a tube.
* Attach a small piece of wooden pick to secure the tube.
* Fill the tube with malagkit.
* Seal the ibus tube.
* Tie with strips of buri.

Yema Recipe - Yema With Toasted Peanuts

Yema Recipe - Yema With Toasted Peanuts

A Filipino dessert recipe; custard candy made from egg yolk and milk.

YEMA Image By AngSarap.Net

Yema Recipe Ingredients

* 1 can Condensed milk
* 8 Egg yolks
* 2 tablespoon Butter
* 1 ts Vanilla
* 1/2 cup Peanuts, ground

Yema Recipe Preparation Cooking Instruction

1). Mix together condensed milk and egg yolks in double boiler.
2). Cook the mixture under medium heat.
3). Stir constantly until thick.
4). Add butter, vanilla and nuts.
5). Let it cool, then remove from flame when cooled
6). Shape into desired shape (usually pyramids) and wrap in cellophane.

Enjoy your Yema candies!

Note: Image may vary with the end result of this recipe.

Balut Filipino Exotic Food

One of the many well known Filipino food delicacy that can be found here only in the Philippines is called "balut".

A balut is a fertilized duck (or chicken) egg with a nearly-developed embryo inside that is boiled and eaten in the shell. It is commonly sold as streetfood in the Philippines.

Balut is usually served warm and fresh. Some of the pubs in Philippines serves the balut with beers.

The Pinoys usually tap the tip of the Balut to make a small crack on the top and drink up the juices inside the egg shell. After that the Balut shell will be cracked open and a pinch of salt will be springled on the Balut. Then, get ready to ‘wallup’ the whole thing into your mouth. I’m sure it’d taste good with beer.

Balut are most often eaten with a pinch of salt, some prefer chili and vinegar to complement their egg. The eggs are savored for their balance of textures and flavors; the broth surrounding the embryo is sipped from the egg before the shell is peeled and the yolk and young chick inside can be eaten. All of the contents of the egg are consumed, although the whites may remain uneaten, due to its toughness depending on the age of the fertilized egg.

Balut is now being served as appetizers in restaurants; cooked adobo style, fried in omelettes or even used as filling in baked pastries.