Global Cuisine

A Taste of the Filipino Paradise

Name of Employee: Anna Kariza Abanilla Ismail
Age: 34
Nationality: Filipino
Foodstore Location: Is-Suq tal-Belt Valletta Food Market
Role: Cashier & Stacker

For the final edition of Global Cuisine, we spoke to Anna Kariza, one of our employees at Is-Suq tal-Belt Valletta Food Market, who was delighted to share the culture and traditions of her home country, the Philippines. Anna grew up in the village, in a big happy family. Her grandparents, aunties and uncles were always there to guide her, and she enjoyed playing outdoor games with her cousins and neighbours. She mentioned some of the games they used to play, including patintero (block the runner) and tumbang preso (knock down the can).

Despite these wholesome memories, Anna started to experience the hardship that her family had to endure from a young age, and she soon realised that she needed to study to build a better future. In the meantime, she helped her mother with a homemade cake business. Even on the busiest of days, her father always taught them the importance of family time and to be thankful to God, so they went to church every Sunday and every other feast day together. Filipinos tend to have a very respectful and hospital nature, she went on to say, especially towards the elderly. Amongst many values Filipinos are proud of, Pagmamano refers to the tradition of kissing elders’ foreheads as a show of respect. Filipinos are also very religious, most of which are Roman Catholic, and they have the longest Christmas celebrations.

Anna moved to Malta in 2017 and started working as a cleaner, even though her past work experience was in supermarkets. From then on, she worked hard to grow and, eventually, started working in a supermarket environment once again, which she loves most. At the Food Market in Valletta, she enjoys meeting customers from all over the world, as well as the locals who visit the Food Market on a daily or frequent basis. Each day is a new learning opportunity for Anna.

When it comes to food, rice is a staple part of Filipino meals, and Anna would like to share the traditional recipe for Bibingka with us, referring to a kind of baked rice cake that is usually eaten for breakfast or merienda (mid-afternoon snack), especially during the Christmas season. Growing up, Anna remembers her parents treating her with Bibingka after attending the Simbang Gabi or Misa de Gallo, a nine-day series of mass in preparation for Christmas. Traditionally, it can be cooked using a terracotta oven or a clay pot.

Recipe: Bibingka (Baked Rice Cake)

Servings: Around 6

Ingredients:

• 2 cups glutinous rice flour
• 2 eggs
• ¾ cup white sugar
• 1/4 cup melted butter
• ½ cup evaporated milk
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 1 condensed milk
• 2 tbsp baking powder
• Grated cheese, for topping
• 1 salted egg, sliced

A wide variety of quality ingredients for our recipes are available from Arkadia supermarkets in Malta and Gozo, including Arkadia FoodExpress Swatar and Arkadia Food Market Valletta.

Method: 

1. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the glutinous rice, eggs, and sugar until well-combined.

2. Add the melted butter, coconut milk, evaporated and condensed milk, and baking powder. Continue whisking until there are no lumps in the mixture.

3. Pour over molders lined with banana leaves. Top with grated cheese and slices of salted egg.

4. Bake for 20-25 minutes in 180 degrees Celsius. 

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