The rainy season has arrived in the Philippines, making it the perfect time to indulge in a cup of brew. What’s even more delightful is when you match the rainy season with delicious coffee pairings.
Finding the perfect food to pair with your coffee can be a challenge. It all boils down to your tastebuds. Do you like your brew paired with something sweet? Or do you like your snack a little bit bland to enhance the taste of your favorite cup of joe? What if you just can’t decide because there are many good combos out there in the wild? Fret not because we got you!
In this article, we have curated a list of ideal coffee pairings that Filipinos and Filipinos at heart will surely adore.
Pandesal
Nothing beats the smell of pandesal fresh from the oven. The first on our list of the best food to pair with coffee is pandesal, a popular type of Filipino bread roll. Every bakery in the Philippines sells pandesal at an affordable minimum price of 2 PHP.
This Filipino bread of all time is made with simple ingredients like flour, yeast, sugar, salt, and oil. Because the main ingredients are so easy to acquire, people can bake them in the comfort of their own homes. If you want to challenge yourself, here’s an online recipe for making pandesal at home.
A cup of hot brew paired with freshly-baked pandesal is one of the best savory coffee pairings that will absolutely calm your nerves during a rainy day.
Bibingka
Bibingka is a famous baked rice cake commonly eaten for breakfast or during the Christmas season. Because cold temperatures usually mark the Christmas season in the Philippines, Filipinos enjoy eating bibingka and sipping coffee with it.
Eating bibingka can be seasonal, so not all bakeries in the country sell the rice cake all year round. However, food stores like Bibingkinitan sell Bibingka inside malls, so it’s still easy to find one when you’re craving it. If you’re also up for a challenge, check this bibingka recipe and make it yourself. I think coffee and bibingka are among the best coffee and food pairings to try!
Having bibingka at home is more special when you make your cup of joe in a fully automatic coffee machine with a grinder and milk frother. For sure, eating bibingka while savoring a cup of coffee during the rainy season feels like a hug full of warmth from your loved ones.
Ensaymada
Coffee is best paired with Ensaymada if you’re one of those with a sweet tooth. This sweet pastry originated in Spain, where the variation is made with pork lard.
Ensaymada comes from baking sweet dough and covering it in melted butter and sugar. Ensaymadas can be added with different toppings besides its sweet sugar coating. Among Ensaymada’s various flavors, cheesy ensaymada is the most popular. Check out this recipe and try baking an ensaymada today!
If you like hot and black coffee, pairing it with an ensaymada will surely gratify your tastebuds.
Puto Cake
Another ideal food pairing for coffee is puto. Puto is a Filipino steamed cake known for its soft texture and subtle flavor. It can be topped with various ingredients, including cheese, salted egg, and many more.
Puto is a general term for different types of Filipino steamed cakes. That said, many kinds are made with various ingredients. Here’s a simple recipe you can try at home.
However you want your puto to be, pairing it with a hot cup of coffee will always ease your mind away during the rainy season.
Biko
Biko is the one for you if you like your coffee paired with a sticky dessert. Biko is a popular Filipino sticky rice cake often topped with toasted coconut milk curd or latik.
Filipinos love to buy a bilao of biko and serve it at parties. It is also eaten during breakfast, perfectly matched with a hot cup of Barako coffee. Most biko sellers make the dessert on a made-to-order basis, but if you’re up for a little experiment, you can make the sticky dessert on your own with these quick and easy steps.
If you’re a lover of sticky treats like Biko, then I can recommend that Biko and Coffee are one of the best coffee and food pairings out there!
Suman
Lastly, Suman is a Filipino rice cake that’s also perfect for your coffee. Filipinos in the province love to eat Suman as a morning or afternoon snack.
The rice cake is made with soaked glutinous rice wrapped in banana leaves, but the rice can also be substituted with cassava to achieve a different flavor. The ingredients for Suman can also be easily bought at any supermarket so if you want to try your hand at making this, check out these easy steps.
With a cup of hot brew, suman is best eaten with a sprinkle of sugar or a drizzle of coconut caramel sauce.
Know the Coffee Aficionado Inside You
Making coffee is a relatively soothing process. We drink coffee because we want to feel both alive and relaxed at the same time.
Coffee making has also become a lifestyle, especially for those who are becoming aficionados. For some, they invest in accessories to upgrade their coffee experience. And for others, they start their journey to enthusiasm by thinking of mouthwatering coffee pairings.
Essentially, coffee is best paired with whatever food your heart desires. Drinking coffee during rainy weather is like another form of bonding with yourself or with a loved one. As stressful as it can be to get out of the house in the rain or cold, some people stay inside, warm themselves under a blanket, enjoy their coffee, and eat their favorite food.
Even if you don't subscribe to any particular rainy-season life hack, knowing that you can match coffee with delectable snacks while the rain comes is an excellent start to feeling well-rested. In that case, go, have a try, and pair your favorite coffee with a heartwarming Filipino treat.
