Table filled with love

Despite the rising cost of food products, Filipino families still take pride in rounding up a delicious array of holiday staples to celebrate this time-honored season of traditions.

Families take the time to gather — if not on both special days, Christmas on 25 December and New Year on 1 January, then on either one or sometime in between.

And because families may now be commonly scattered around the globe for work or travel, reunions and gatherings become all the more special when everyone is able to come home.

Dining tables then become laden with favorites, which are different for every household. A classic, for many, is ham, but nowadays you can serve it in many ways — roll-ups, a charcuterie, on a pastry or pie. Recent years saw the rise of caviar cakes and salmon cakes, Iberian roast and mascarpone cake. Multicultural influences have made the Filipino dining table that much more interesting!

If you are still wondering what food you should serve in the holiday festivities, here are some recommendations:

1. Filipino-style spaghetti

A Filipino celebration wouldn't be complete without spaghetti.

Ximena Bala, a Journalism student from the University of Santo Tomas, has always looked forward to eating spaghetti that her grandmother cooks for her during the holidays.

"Talagang paborito namin magkakapatid 'yung spaghetti na niluluto sa amin ng lola ko tuwing may occasion like Christmas or New Year (Our grandmother's homecooked spaghetti is really a favorite among us, siblings, especially during occasions like Christmas or New Year)," Bala said.

2. Hamon

One might agree that a Filipino Christmas and New Year table without ham feels incomplete.

Aaron Antiligando, a 21-year Polytechnic University of the Philippines student, asserted that Christmas ham is more than just eye candy or a prized food item.

"Bukod sa masarap, madali siyang lutuin at gawin pang ulam kahit tapos na ang Pasko (Aside from being delicious, it is easy to cook and can still be served even after Christmas)," Antiligando said.

3. Roast beef

A juicy and mouthwatering platter of roasted beef will surely be the star of the show.

Carl Reyes, a Journalism student from UST, shared how they keep their Noche Buena platter different yearly.

"Talagang tradition sa amin 'yung pinaghahandaan at pinag-iisipan 'yung pagkain na ihahanda kasi minsan lang naman mag-Pasko (Preparing the food to be served is a tradition for us because Christmas only comes once a year)," Reyes said.

4. Leche Flan

This sweet and delectable dessert is definitely a Noche Buena must-have!

Hillary Danganan, a 22-year-old Legal Management student who usually celebrates the holiday season in Dubai, mentioned how leche flan is something she misses when it's not on their Noche Buena table.

"Apart from the usual Filipino meals, I always look forward to eating leche flan on Christmas," Danganan said.

5. Yema Cake

Choosing the perfect dessert might take time. However, if you opt for something more traditional yet affordable and delicious, having yema cake on your table is ideal!

Trishia Rapesora, a local from Dumaguete, said their Noche Buena feast wouldn't be complete without yema cake.

"Mura at masarap yema cake dito sa province kaya talagang kasama siya sa mga handaan namin during special occasions (Here in the province, the yema cake is affordable and delicious, so it's always included in our celebrations during special occasions)," Rapesora said.