Noche Buena: Good night Feast in Christmas Eve!

What’s a Christmas Celebration in a Filipino home without a huge Noche Buena? Nothing brings family together like a huge feast during the holidays. When it comes to Filipinos and celebrating the holidays, food is especially the main attraction. There are various foods one can expect at the dinner table and these dishes are a must for a Christmas feast.

Pinoy Spaghetti 

Unlike the traditional way Italians make their spaghetti, Pinoy spaghetti is very different in taste. The Filipino version of spaghetti is very sweet, cheesy, and made with pieces of hot dogs- preferably the red juicy hot dogs! It’s a staple in most Filipino celebrations but especially during the holidays because it’s the favourite comfort food for most. It’s easy to make so it’s a good addition to the Noche Buena!

Christmas Ham with Pineapple Glaze

Most Filipinos are serious meat eaters so you can expect half the table to be filled with meat dishes such as the Christmas ham. Like the Spaghetti, Filipinos like to glaze their ham with pineapple for a more sweet flavour that perfectly balances out the pork. It pairs well with rice (obviously) but also other staple dishes like the pinot spaghetti and lechon. Quezo de Bola

Is it really Christmas without the Quezo de Bola? This circular shaped cheese covered in red wax has graced the Christmas table and its mere presence really heightens the Christmas feeling. It’s a great snack for guests and a good addition if one wants more cheese in the spaghetti and macaroni salad. 

Macaroni Salad

Macaroni salad varies in ingredients in general for most people but for Filipinos, we add cheese, raisins, corn, a little bit of condensed milk, pineapple, hard boiled eggs along with the usual mayo, relish, and such. If you’ve never tried it before, don’t question it- just give it a taste. Having had the generic macaroni salad versus Filipino macaroni salad, I may be biassed but the sweetness of the Filipino version is great on its own and with the rest of the holiday staple dishes. 

Lechon

Nothing evokes a feast like having lechon! Lechon is roasted pig-the whole pig. It sounds like a lot but there are various sizes you can get depending on the size of your party. Lechon is definitely a party favourite especially for larger parties. What is a feast without feeling so full that you have to unbutton your pants! 

My happy memories during the holidays always consist of my family and I sharing a large meal at the dinner table. There’s nothing like conversing with your loved ones while eating till’ your heart’s content and sharing your love for one another through gifts! There’s so much laughter and fun around the dinner table. After all, who isn’t in a good mood during a feast?! It’s definitely a great way to create a “Noche Buena” or “good night.” !

From our family to yours, have a great “Noche Buena'' filled with lots of love and laughter! 

Preparing Christmas Noche Buena tonight? Spice up your dining table by adding genuine Filipino products to your table made by our partner artisan from the Philippines.

Check out our kitchenware here.