Know the Filipinos' Favorite Delicacies Prepared During the Holy Week

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Beginning Sunday, March 28 to Saturday, April 3, 2021, the Filipino Catholics will once again observe the Holy Week. In the Philippines, the observance of the Holy Week will be highlighted by week-long religious activities such as Church Masses, Visita Iglesia, or the visit of seven Churches, the station of the Cross, and it culminates with the Siete Palabras ( The 7 last words of Jesus hours before His painful death on the cross), and other religious activities associated with the observance of the Holy Week. 

Sadly, this year’s Holy Week may not be the same as compared to past years due to the Some of these religious activities may not be observed because of the current global health crisis. Local government units have imposed restrictions that may hinder the observance of the Holy Week. 

Aside from the Holy Week activities, and as part of the religious traditions, the Filipinos also prepare and cook different delicious native delicacies to be served during the Holy Week particularly on Good Friday. 

Although, these native delicacies like Puto Maya, the Suman/Budbud, and Bibingka (rice cake) are also available all-year-round in the Philippines. They are commercially available in the Philippine markets every day. 

Fasting 

Fasting is common among Filipinos, especially on Good Friday. The Filipinos, being compassionate people, share the sufferings of Jesus Christ by not eating delicious food, particularly pork or beef meat. This is to sympathize with Jesus Christ. Instead, Filipino Catholics go on fasting during the Holy Week until the resurrection of Jesus Christ. 

Filipino Delicacies Served During the Holy Week


Listed below are just some of the Filipinos’ favorite native delicacies prepared and served during the Holy Week: 

Biko 

Biko is sweetened glutinous rice mixed with brown sugar. Its red color is a result of brown sugar as one of its ingredients. Biko is always present and served on the table every Family family during the Holy Week. Unlike the Puto Maya, the Biko is best eaten even without a cup of hot cocoa (Sikwate in the Visayas) or a cup of coffee. Biko is a mixture of salt, coconut milk, brown sugar, water, and glutinous rice or ( malagkit) in the Filipino language. 

Puto Maya 

The Puto Maya is one of the favorite native delicacies of the Filipinos during the Holy Week. But this white, glutinous rice is preserved and served not just during the Holy Week but all-year-round. This native delicacy is best eaten with a cup of cocoa or coffee. 

In other provinces, it is steam-cooked. It is wrapped in matured, wilted banana leaves in a triangular shape. Puto Maya ingredients are the following: glutinous rice peeled ginger, and cut into strips, table salt, refined sugar, and coconut milk. Puto Maya is best eaten with a cup of hot cocoa or coffee. 

Suman/Budbud 

It is called Suman in some provinces in Luzon and “Budbud in some provinces in the Visayas. Its taste is similar to the Puto May. Its main ingredient is also glutinous rice with sugar. Unlike the Puto Maya, the Suman or Budbud is also wrapped in banana leaves but in a tubular shape. Suman/Budbud is a mixture of glutinous rice, salt, sugar, coconut milk.


Bibingka (rice cake)


Compared to Puto Maya, Bibingka is not as commercially available. Bibingka is only sold in major markets in the Philippines. Among the Filipinos’ native delicacies, the Bibing is one of the most difficult to prepare and cook. 

One who prepares bibingka has to expose herself to constant heat from the burning charcoal. Bibingka is a mixture of several ingredients such as fresh milk, coconut milk, butter, baking powder, salt, rice flour, granulated sugar, salted duck egg sliced, grated cheese, raw eggs, and banana leaf. 

Binignit 

Of all the native delicacies prepared and cooked during Holy Week, the Binignit is the most popular among the Filipinos. During the Holy Week, particularly on Good Friday, almost every Filipino family prepares this delicacy. 

What makes the Binignit stands out above the rest of native delicacies is its mixture of different fruits and root crops. Despite its difficulty to prepare, Filipinos still prepare this delicacy because of its distinct taste. One has to constantly stir the “ binignit” while to prevent it from getting overcooked. If it is not stirred constantly the fruits would stick to one another. 

Binignit ingredients include cooked sago, ripe jackfruit strips, coconut milk, brown sugar, water, glutinous rice, purple yam cut into cubes, sweet potato (peeled and cut into cubes), ripe saba bananas (peeled and sliced)


Viand Served During the Holy Week 

Aside from the native delicacies prepared and served during the Holy Week, viands such as dried fish and monggo are also prepared especially in the Philippine countryside. 

Below are the viands prepared and served during the Holy Week: 

Popular Food During Good Friday 

To sympathize with Jesus Christ during His sufferings, most Catholics in the Philippines do not eat meat during the Holy Week, but only dried fish. Traditionally, Filipino Catholics will go on fasting. Usually, monggo beans and dried fish are prepared and cooked, and served during Holy Week. Aside from dried fish, 

Easter Sunday/Resurrection of Jesus 

In the Philippine Provinces, Easter Sunday or the Resurrection of Jesus Christ is a big religious celebration. This is the time where people celebrate with lavish food such as pork and beef meat. 

Please take note that the ingredients mentioned above are for commercial production with enough capital. There are also those who prepare with limited financial resources who could not buy all the ingredients. 

In the Philippines, the aforesaid delicacies are always prepared and served during the Holy Week to be shared among family members and neighbors. Though it is really hard to associate the preparation of these delicacies to the religious aspect of the Holy Week, still, the Filipinos are grateful for this particular tradition of preparing delicacies to be served and shared with the fellow Filipinos during the observance of the Holy Week. 


Photo (Binignit) credit to Jim/Flickr


Photo (Suman) credit to George Parilla/Flickr 


Photo (Bibingka) credit to chotda/Flickr 

Trivia: 

● What national event will be commemorated on April 9 in the Philippines? The answer to this question will be answered in the next blog. 

Answer to the question, “ How many letters are there in the Filipino alphabet? Answer: There are 28 letters in the Filipino alphabet. 

Ilang letra meron sa Alpabetong Filipino? Ang Alpabetong Filipino ay binubuo ng dalawampu’t walong letra (28 letters).


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