What foods are associated with Easter? Apart from the Easter egg, Filipinos, known for their festive spirit and love for gathering with loved ones, associate Easter with a variety of foods.
In Filipino households, the hot, soupy-sweet dish bilo-bilo is often linked to Easter celebrations. Bilo-bilo, also known as pinaltok, is a Filipino dessert consisting of small glutinous balls cooked in coconut milk and sugar, often served with various fruits and tapioca pearls. It originates from Luzon island.
Pinoy youths would usually spend their summer days in their province during Holy Week. After the early morning “Salubong,” a traditional Easter dawn procession in the Philippines portraying the encounter between the Risen Christ and his mother, Mary, before sunrise, they would often enjoy a light breakfast of pan de sal and hot chocolate.
Their elderly relatives would then ask them to help make glutinous balls for the bilo-bilo that will be served for brunch or merienda. The youth would have hours of fun creating the sticky balls, as they rolled the glutinous mixture into evenly sized balls. In the province, households or communities are deeply involved in local practices during the lenten season.
During Holy Week, neighbors would also exchange traditional rice cakes like suman and puto for Easter. As Easter Sunday celebrations commence in the morning, following the traditional resurrection of Jesus Christ, Filipino early morning fare is also associated with Easter. Various pastries such as pan de sal with kesong puti and ensaymada are commonly enjoyed during Easter breakfast or brunch gatherings.
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Given the predominantly Catholic population in the Philippines, seafood dishes like grilled fish, shrimp, and crabs are also popular choices for Easter meals, especially on Good Friday when meat is traditionally avoided.
Apart from these traditional Filipino fares, they also have the Easter egg, influenced by American culture. Millennial readers may recall the halcyon days of their youth spent at Greenbelt in Makati during the '80s. After mass at the Greenbelt Chapel, families would register their children, aged 12 and below, at Greenbelt Park, where they would receive baskets for an Easter egg hunt. All the kids would come home with prizes and other sweet treats.
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Nowadays, Easter egg chocolates, candies, and rabbit cookies are the most popularly associated foods with Easter. However, the wholesome sweets and traditional flavors of native kakanin dishes hold a special place in the hearts of Filipino youth as a celebration of the resurrection of their Lord.