Breakfast Kamayan: A Twist to Kamayan Feast

Kamayan is a communal feast with a colorful arrangement of food spread across a table over banana leaves. A breakfast kamayan is a great way to share a variety of Filipino breakfast favorites with family and friends.

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day for Filipinos. Whether savory or sweet, it's always a hearty meal in the morning or any time of the day.

Do you want to know more about kamayan feast or boodle fight? Check out my post on Kamayan Feast: Bringing Together Family and Friends.

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Breakfast kamayan food ideas

Rice remains to be a daily staple, even in the mornings. It isn't just plain rice; you can have Sinangag (Garlic Fried Rice) with crisp fried garlic bits, Adobo Fried Rice, several kinds of kakanin (rice cakes), or Champorado (Chocolate Rice Porridge).

Silog, a portmanteau of the Filipino words sinangag (fried rice) and itlog (egg), is served with proteins like Beef Tapa, Tocino (Sweet Cured Pork), Longganisa (Filipino Sausage), Daing na Bangus (Marinated Milkfish) or salted dried fish.

Beef Tapa is pan-fried or grilled slices of beef marinated in soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, and sugar.

Longganisa or Filipino sausages come in many varieties; they can be savory (de recado) or sweet (hamonado) and made with a generous amount of garlic.

We love to eat fish for breakfast. Daing na Bangus (Marinated Milkfish) is butterflied milkfish marinated in vinegar and garlic.

Filipino dried fish, sometimes split open, is heavily salted and dried under the sun.

There are many options to choose from like tuyo (salted dried herring) or dilis (anchovies); all are delicious when fried to a crisp and served with a spiced vinegar dipping sauce.

Canned corned beef that is sautéed with garlic, onions, and tomatoes is a true classic. You can use it as pandesal filling or serve it with rice and eggs.

Tortang Talong (Eggplant Omelet) is grilled or fire-roasted eggplant battered in eggs and shallow-fried until golden brown. Other torta or omelet versions can include fillings like ground meat, sardines, or dulong (silver fish).

Sides like Achara (Pickled Green Papaya), condiments, and dipping sauces (sawsawan) are essential to every Filipino meal.

Noodles like Pancit Canton (Stir-Fried Noodles) or Pancit Bihon (Stir-Fried Rice Noodles) are welcome any time of day.

Inihaw na Liempo (Grilled Pork Belly), although more common at lunch or dinner, can be served as a silog-type of breakfast with fried rice and eggs.

Dinuguan (Pork Blood Stew) is rich and delicious with pork meat and innards simmered in pork blood, vinegar, garlic, and sometimes coconut milk. It is often enjoyed at breakfast with rice or Puto (Steamed Rice Cakes).

Tokwa't Baboy (Tofu and Pork), typically an appetizer or pulutan (snack served with alcohol), is paired with Lugaw or Goto (Rice Porridge).

Champorado is a thick chocolate rice porridge made with tablea (tablets of raw, ground cacao beans) and glutinous rice. It is often paired with tuyo (salted dried herring) for that sweet and salty combination. Unlike Mexican champurrado, Filipinos use rice instead of masa harina.

Pandesal is the best thing in the morning, especially when it's warm from the bakery. It is fluffly, lightly sweet, and best dipped in coffee or tsokolate, a thick hot chocolate drink.

Kakanin (sweet rice cakes) make a delicious dessert or breakfast. Among the different kinds are Palitaw and Kutsinta.

Taho (Silken Tofu with Sago and Syrup) is a street food available for breakfast and merienda (snack).

Buko juice from young coconut is hydrating and refreshing, especially on hot days.

Enjoying good food with good company is the most important aspect of a kamayan feast. Whatever you decide to serve, be creative and have fun; the memories you make will last a lifetime.

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