Simbang Gabi - Cuisine

Cuisine

During the Spanish and early American periods the parishioners would mostly have nothing to offer at the Mass except sacks of rice, fruits and vegetables and fresh eggs. These were graciously accepted by the priests, who besides keeping a portion for themselves, would share the produce in with the rest of the parishioners after the service.

Today, local delicacies are readily available in the church's premises for the parishioners. The iconic puto bumbong, bibingka, suman and other rice pastries are cooked on the spot. Latik and yema are sweets sold to children, while biscuits like uraro, barquillos, lengua de gato and otap are also available. Kape Barako, a very strong coffee grown in the province of Batangas), hot tsokolate, or salabat (a tisane of ginger) are the main drinks. Arróz caldo (rice and chicken porridge), soups and papait (goat bile stew found in the Ilocos region) soups abound.

The rice-based foods were traditionally served to fill the stomachs of the farmers and since rice is a cheap and primary staple. The pastries were full of carbohydrates needed for the back-breaking forced work in the rice paddies and azucareras that the natives suffered under the colonisers.