As part of a new series I’m starting, I’ll be interviewing Drag Performers who bake and cook – from the bay area and beyond! This is the first part of a whole series to shed light on the world of cooking, baking, food, and drag. Let’s get to know Bibingka Mama, our first guest.
Who is Bibingka Mama?
Bibingka Mama is a Pinay Drag Queen, Baker, Songwriter, and Entertainer, serving Filipino cuisine with a funky twist. Their namesake comes from their signature dish, the bibingka, which is an ooey-gooey, coconutty Filipino rice cake dessert. After perfecting their family recipe, they realized that most Americans weren’t familiar with bibingka, and decided to share their culture through food and entertainment. They modified the family recipe and began selling the delicious rice cakes at local New York pop-up events. With this, they hope to build an empire and share the Filipino culture and food with the world.
I’m honored to be able to know Bibingka Mama through a mutual friend and excited to know another Asian American baker & drag performer!
So, in your words, how did you get started with drag and how long have you been doing it?
BIBINGKA MAMA: I have always enjoyed going to drag shows, but it wasn’t until I starting dressing up for parties in the Brooklyn club kid scene that I started getting into drag myself. In 2017, I was invited by the Bubble_T Party producers to perform for their first annual Halloween Event “Cosplaysia”. Since that first moment on stage, I knew drag was something I wanted to continue doing.
That’s Incredible. I think I see a little bit through your drag performances, but how would you describe your style?
BIBINGKA MAMA: I would describe my style as “Glampy” Glam Campy drag. I sometimes like to incorporate some cosplay and cartoon scenes into my drag routine.
Tell me more about this signature dish!
BIBINGKA MAMA: My Signature dish is the Royal Bibingka, its the famous Filipino dessert that I am named after. Royal Bibingka is an ooey-gooey rice cake, baked without banana leaves. It’s very similar to the Hawaiian Butter Mochi cake with roasted coconut flakes. It’s one of my favorite desserts.
I saw on your website that you have this amazing Balikbayan box! Also, what other sort of cool drag and cooking things are you doing?
BIBINGKA MAMA: A Balikbayan box is a Filipino care package, they are typically large freight shipments sent by families in the U.S. to the Philippines. This has been a long-standing tradition in the Filipino community and I wanted to introduce a new way of celebrating this tradition by making my own care package for my friend and family in the US. I decided to curate a monthly box full Asian treats that aren’t available at local grocery stores. This is the perfect way to share Asian food and culture to those without easy accessibility.
I am also working on other projects, like expanding my YouTube channel with more cooking/baking content as well as fashion and style videos. I am hoping to launch these videos within the next month.
Coming from one Asian performer to another, tell me more about how your culture inspires your drag and art.
BIBINGKA MAMA: When I took on the name Bibingka Mama I didn’t realize how much of an impact I would have in the Brooklyn Filipinx community. I loved seeing people get so excited to see Filipino food in a place where they typically wouldn’t see any Filipino representation. A lot of people also didn’t know what a bibingka was, so I had to take the opportunity to share my culture and start baking these cakes for my shows. Soon after I started selling them at pop-up markets and special online orders. I eventually expanded my menu to other Filipino dishes like chicken adobo sliders and rice bowls for larger events like the Bushwig festival.
I would also incorporate cultural elements into my performance, Such as adding Asian design and motifs in my costumes, or cultural references in my dance routine. For my first Lunar New Year event I did a Tahitian dance that transitioned into a fan dance to the song “Attitude” By Leikeli 47.
That is so incredibly amazing! Last question. What else should we know about Bibingka Mama?
BIBINGKA MAMA: If you haven’t had bibingka, you can go to Bibingkamama.com/shop to buy a Royal baking Bibingka kit, you can make Bibingka in your own home.
Thank you all for reading this interview! You can (and should) follow Bibingka Mama on their Instagram here and check out their amazing website. Also, follow this blog for more future interviews of drag performers that cook and bake!
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