Bibingka. That quintessential kakanin, or native delicacy, that is closely associated with the Christmas season. A rice cake traditionally prepared with galapong (rice that has been soaked in water overnight, ground the morning after, and mixed with water to form a batter) on banana leaf and cooked with charcoal fire both on top and under… Nothing smells and tastes more like Christmas than the bibingka! Oh, the aroma of the freshly cooked rice cake, wafting in the air with a hint of burnt banana leaf.

So, how about some slices of salted egg on top of your bibingka? A few strips of melting cheese perhaps? Or an appetizing combination of both?

Over at the Workshop Bespoke Bakery at The Grid Food Market, Power Plant Mall, in Makati, the aroma of Christmas fills the air as five yummy flavors of bibingka bake in terracotta "ovens" over and below charcoal fire.

Workshop has brought back the four bibingkas that headlined its holiday lineup in 2021 — Salted Egg Bibingka, Cheddar Bibingka, Kesong Puti Bibingka, and Manchego Bibingka — and added a new, certified best-selling Ube Queso Bibingka to round out its Christmas 2022 bibingka offerings to five.

Salted Egg Bibingka (P195) presents the classic flavor of bibingka as it is meant to be. Warm and soft with generous slices of salted egg on top, it is perfect with the freshly grated coconut and muscovado sugar that comes with it.

Cheddar Bibingka (P260) also stays true to the all-time favorite bibingka, not with a few strips of melting cheese, though, but with a generous amount of freshly grated cheddar cheese that has turned into a delicious mound of gooey melted cheese.

Kesong Puti Bibingka (P280) is a lighter, healthier, all-Filipino version of the cheesy bibingka that everyone has grown to love. It combines salted egg and torched kesong puti chunks as toppings.

Manchego Bibingka (P295) is the high-end, sosyal bibingka among the five. It capitalizes on the sharp taste and buttery texture of Manchego, a premium aged cheese that originates from the La Mancha region of Spain.

The new flavor, Ube Queso Bibingka (P330), marries two Pinoy favorites, ube (purple yam) and cheese, in one awesome goodness. Workshop's take on this classic combo comes in the form of a fluffy ube bibingka with salted egg, ube halaya ripple, and torched melted cheese for its topping.

All bibingkas come with a helping of freshly grated coconut and muscovado sugar, and for those who cannot get enough of their toppings, side orders of extra cheddar cheese, kesong puti, or Manchego cheese may be made on the side.

Fluffy and moist, these premium bibingkas remain that way even when reheated the next day. They are available for dine-in and take-out at Stall 20 of The Grid and for delivery via thegridfoodmarket.com, GrabFood, Pick-a-Roo, foodpanda, and Rider Ko until 15 January 2023.