Bibingka still one of the best cakes in the world — Taste Atlas
MANILA, Philippines — Bibingka, the popular Filipino rice cake, has figured once more among the best-rated cakes in the world according to lifestyle website Taste Atlas.
The rice figured at No. 16 with a 4.4 star rating from a possible 5 — a three-point drop in ranking but a 0.1 rating increase from July 2022.
Taste Atlas described Bibingka, in its simplest form, as a simple cake consisting of rice flour and water initially prepared in clay pots that were lined with banana leaves, which would impart a distinctive, smoky flavor.
"This original Filipino delicacy is usually associated with Christmastime, and it is traditionally enjoyed after the mass on Christmas Day. Bibingka is also often served for breakfast," Taste Atlas noted in the cake's write-up.
The website also acknowledged that bibingka was influenced by foreign cuisine, with the first written reference describing a similar cake dating back to 1751 when the Philippines was under Spanish colonial rule.
Taste Atlas listed down the main ingredients needed for Bibingka — rice flour, eggs, coconut milk, butter, cheese, and coconut — while additional ingredients vary from salted duck eggs to grated coconut.
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Bibingka also figured in Taste Atlas' "100 Most Popular Cakes in the World," this time at the No. 65 spot; the same list also had another Filipino cake, the French-inspired Sans Rival, at No. 78 with a 3.7 star rating.
"It is made with layers of dacquoise; a crispy, baked nut meringue sandwiched together with the so-called pâte à bombe — a gorgeously smooth, velvety and rich French buttercream," Taste Atlas said of Sans Rival.
While the original French dessert is made with either almond or hazelnut meringue, the Filipino Sans Rival uses toasted cashews.
Taste Atlas notes that Sans Rival may hae been invented sometime as early as the 1920s when many Filipinos studied in Europe, and upon returning to the Philippines applied patisserie techniques they had learned.
According to the lifestyle website, the best places to get Sans Rival are Quezon City's Delize by Jill Sandique, Davao City's Lachi's, Baguio's Sizzling Plate, and at Figaro.
The best-rated cake in the world as listed by Taste Atlas is the Medovik — a layered honey cake from Russia — while the most popular cake is the Pavlova, named after the Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova and is mostly found in Australia and New Zealand.
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