Holy Week is here. On the dining-side of things, it’s that time of the year when Cebuanos get ready to partake of their favorite, Lenten merienda: Binignit.
Especially prepared on Good Friday, binignit is generally made up of several ingredients like coconut milk, tubers, saba bananas, jackfruit, sago pearls, landang and glutinous rice balls (malagkit).
A purely Filipino traditional recipe, this warm version of the halo-halo is both delightful and hearty in its own simplistic way. However, the origins remain unclear as to why Cebuanos eat this snack specifically during Holy Week.
Here are some assumptions:
Religious practice
For the majority of Roman Catholics, Holy Week is a very important religious observance that begins its solemn celebration from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday. The solemn week has a number of processions as heavily influenced by Spanish traditions and beliefs (the country being under Spanish rule for 333 years).
Enter the binignit. With Holy Week serving as an opportune time for spiritual renewal, most Catholics are required to abstain from meat on Good Friday. In response, binignit serves as the perfect food that would cater to everyone, since families would prepare huge servings of the delicious and filling snack. And, as mentioned earlier, it has no meat.
Act of fellowship
Binignit is more than just an alternative snack for Catholics observing abstinence. It is also a recipe that draws people together. In line with this, another tradition Cebuanos practice during this season is the giving of binignit to family, friends and neighbors.
This is also very practical, since preparing binignit usually yields more than enough for everyone—uncles, aunts and other relatives present at home. Even neighbors will have their very own fill, and comparing one recipe from the other becomes a topic for light conversation. This is also the perfect go-to snack with the family catching up on things since everyone is at home and not working.
A mother’s love
While binignit is strongly associated with religious beliefs, other Cebuanos simply find it to be a hearty and nostalgic meal from their childhood that their mothers cooked during their younger years. This would also be the reason why most Cebuanos know how to cook it, as the family recipe is being passed down from one generation to the other, maintaining its consistency.
Until today, there is no clear explanation on why Cebuanos mostly associate binignit with the Lenten season or why it remains to be one of the most popular snacks in the region. However, one thing is for sure: Binignit is and will always remain as the humble Holy Week staple in the hearts of the Cebuanos.