I am feeling stuck with the yuletide season. Perhaps Christmas and New Year came quickly and ended with delicious dishes and meaningful experiences.
Without an abundance of food, happy family reunions and get-togethers would not be complete in our culture.
It is impossible to complete all the dishes in one go, but that makes us Filipinos.
Celebrating Noche Buena, which translates to a good or holy night in Spanish, we gathered with my family for a simple yet memorable Christmas dinner where we indulged in a wide range of delectable foods.
Christmas Eve Foodies
One meal that highlights the regal nature of a celebration is the holiday ham. The Holiday ham is an essential addition because of how quickly anyone can prepare it. Since I could not buy a pineapple glazed ham, we prepared Spam instead.
A better way to relax is by drinking soups and beverages during the super cold and chilly yuletide season.
When celebrating the day with extended conversations over, warm beverages are ideal for providing at family get-togethers or barkada night outs. The drink adds flavor and offers every Filipino a strong sense of affection.
Colorful dessert, which combines cream, graham crackers, and a variety of fresh or canned fruits, is always a welcome addition to the holiday season.
Christmas is a holiday that everyone celebrates with so much eagerness. Perhaps Filipinos are not behind in traditional and modern planning, as it marks a festive and memorable celebration in my country.
We got ready for a joyful and welcoming Christmas Eve as we continued traditions to make the most of holding the good fortune that the future year will give. A large portion of it is devoted to luring prosperity and abundance and preparing delicious dishes.
New Year’s Eve Foodies
Every Filipino unquestionably regards the Lechon belly as the grandest of them all at Christmas celebrations.
We usually present every Lechon at the table in a way that makes me drool every time. It is only fitting that this slow-roasted pig should be ranked first because it is jam-packed with flavor that will send my taste buds to a culinary haven.
And we have also prepared a roasted Chicken. It is filled with so many spices like lemon grass, onions, garlic, pepper, and more.
Another traditional Filipino dish is barbecue. Indeed it is one of the most practical and comforting cuisines. Anybody's stomach can quickly churn with anticipation when they smell the barbeque marinated by us. When we took our first mouthful, the expectation of the barbecue's smokey flavor was palpable.
The macaroni salad is a traditional recipe with a wide range of flavors. I filled the salad with everything I could imagine, including pasta, cream, ham, raisins, and more, with a unique twist.
Sweet delicacies like mango float, brownies, macaroons, pichipichi, brazo de Mercedes in cups, and mixed cakes were also prepared by us.
The new year would not be complete without serving 13 Fruits in Round Shapes. During New Year's Eve, thirteen sphere-shaped fruits are customarily set out on a table to mark the beginning of a new year. For some folks, it doesn't matter if the date is 12, 13, or 14 as long as there are fruits with rounded shapes on the table, as every round shape is a symbol of success and prosperity among Filipinos as introduced by Chinese immigrants in the Philippines.
There will always be yearly solid Filipino holidays known as Christmas Eve and New Year’s eve. It is a better way to celebrate the holidays with the delectable flavors of everything the dishes offer.
Additionally, the cozy meeting of my family and friends is sufficient to keep the atmosphere enchanted by Christmas and New Year.
Perhaps we offered delectable delicacies during Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve in a simple way that enhances the positive dining experience since our culture truly loves food during festive celebrations, no matter how simple or lavish the dish is.
Disclaimer: All texts and pictures are my own unless otherwise stated.