page_title: Bibingka
section_title: Preparation
hierarchical_section_title: Bibingka / In the Philippines / Preparation
caption_attribution_description: Filipino commercial bibingka in banana leaf liner.
context_page_description: Bibingka is a type of baked rice cake from Indonesia and Philippines. It is usually eaten for breakfast, especially during the Christmas season. It is traditionally cooked in clay pots lined with leaves. It is a subtype of kakanin in Philippine cuisine. Bibingka is also found in East Timor and Christian communities in eastern Indonesia.
context_section_description: Bibingka is traditionally made with galapóng (slightly fermented soaked glutinous rice ground into a paste) and coconut milk or water. Modern versions sometimes use regular rice flour or Japanese mochiko flour. Other ingredients can vary greatly, but the most common secondary ingredients are eggs and milk. The traditional preparation is very time-consuming. A specially made terra cotta container is lined with a single large section of a banana leaf. It is placed over preheated coals and the rice flour and water mixture is poured into it, taking care not to spill it into the container itself. Another piece of banana leaf is added to the top and covered with more preheated coals.
  The end result is a soft and spongy large flat cake that is slightly charred on both surfaces and infused with the unique aroma of toasted banana leaves. Toppings are then added, usually consisting of butter/margarine, sugar, cheese, or grated coconut. Other more uncommon toppings include pinipig (pounded immature rice grains), pineapple, and salted duck eggs. A mixture of two or more of these toppings on a single bibingka are also common. Bibingka with sumptuous amounts of toppings (and ingredients) are sometimes called bibingka especial.
  More modern methods involve bibingka being baked in an actual oven inside a caldero or ordinary cake pans. The result lacks the distinctive smoky smell of charcoal but is otherwise the same, especially if banana leaves are also used to line it. Mass-produced bibingka in Philippine bakeries are also made using characteristic tin molds that give them a crenelated shape similar to large puto or puto mamon (cupcakes).
  Bibingka is best served hot. Large bibingka can be sliced (or torn) into several wedges and can serve 4 to 6 people.
caption: Bakery-made bibingka in banana leaf liner showing the distinctive notched edges from cupcake tin molds
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