SM Mater Chef's Supersized Cook-off

Photo by: Maria Caridad Satorre of http://travelwithblacksheep.blogspot.com/

A truly pinoy Christmas is never complete until you've walked home on a frigid morning after dawn mass and stopped to sample a warm bibingka from a small stall by the road. Naturally, with Christmas being so close, SM Hypermarket chooses to cap their quarter-long Master Chefs extravaganza with a celebration of one of the most iconic of holiday treats, the bibingka. And where better to do it than in the home of the biggest bibingka in the world, Mandaue City, Cebu.

Known as the source of the best bibingka in the country, Mandaue City is also the home of many ingenious bakers who have taken delicacy and given it a delicious twist. But one thing stays the same - all Mandaue bibingka are cooked in the classic "inurno" style.

Last November 18, 2011, SM Hypermarket kicked off the holidays in Cebu by holding a festival for bibingka makers and lovers of the treat. Its Supersized competition paid tribute to the many variants of the basic recipe and challenged chefs from all over to create the tastiest bibingka, and to serve up as many plates of it as they can.

At the end of the day, two groups were declared as winners. The best Tasting and Most Number of Plates Served Category winners each received P25,000 worth of SM gift certificates and a plaque of recognition from SM Hypermarket.

Alang-Alang group won the Best Tasting Bibingka with a staggering rate of 93.33%. The Largest Bibingka Serving was given to Mandauehanon group for serving a total of 391 pieces of bibingka.