Photo fromGam1983 from iStock
In some parts of the world, Christmas might be a one-day or weekend-long celebration but in the Philippines, it’s a three month affair! Known to have the longest holiday celebrations, you can hear local Christmas carols as early as September 1 stretching all the way to the first weeks of January. If you think it stops at Christmas songs, imagine how seriously Filipinos take Christmas and New Year feasts!
Families are known to get together to ring in Christmas and New Years with Noche Buena and Media Noche feasts. You’ve got lechon, buko salad, relleno, Spanish paella, Pinoy-style spaghetti, fried lumpia, and other Filipino food favorites spread across dinner tables for families as small as 3 or as big as 50 (or more!) to enjoy.
One classic Filipino Christmas recipe that’s ever-present in holiday celebrations is Pata Tim. It’s a braised pork leg dish that deliciously fuses Filipino and Chinese ingredients, namely oyster sauce, soy sauce, cornstarch, and sugar. This Pata Tim recipe from Pinoy Recipe calls for the meat to be slow cooked over gentle heat in order for you to achieve that sweet and juicy meat that falls off the bones. For more Filipino and Asian products, order at our online Asian market at Karman Foods.