Another delicious cake that evolved as a fusion of European and Goan cooking. All time favourite among goan desserts and aptly known as the Queen of Desserts. Its a layered cake that takes a lot of labour to make but once you have mastered it, its sure to make you very popular amongst your family and friends specially at Christmas time as they would flock to you to place their orders for this succulent Christmas speciality. Bebinca is a pudding textured cake and not fluffy like a normal baked cake.
It goes by several other names like Bebique or bibik. It is popularly known to have been a dessert created by a nun named Bebiana at the Santa Monica Convent in Old Goa (Velha Goa), a place just outside the capital city of Goa, Panaji or Panjim. Incidentally Old Goa was the former capital of Goa before Panjim was named the new capital after a outbreak of Plague at Old Goa in the 18th Century. Old Goa was also the first places that the Portuguese settled after a short war broke out with the Portuguese and Adil Shah who ruled Goa before Portuguese established themselves in Goa. It was once called the Rome of the East as the Portuguese built large cathedrals in a cluster. Although most of the building were ravaged by passing of time, however the large churches still remain standing and is magnificent place to visit. Its now designated as a UNESCO world Heritage site and maintained by the Archealogical Society of India (ASI), though its a active religious site of worship for Catholic Goans and other Christian. The Basilica of Bom Jesus is world famous as it is the final resting place (Mortal Remains) of St. Francis Xavier, a Jesuit Spanish priest from 16th Century and one of the first to preach Christianity in Goa and else where in Asia including China. For a virtual tour of Old Goa monuments visit ASI Virtual Tour.
Photo Credit: ASI Goa Circle Website.
The bebinca was made as a 7 layered cake to represent the 7 hills of Lisbon. It was served to a visiting priest by the nun, who enjoyed the cake very much that, he commented that it needs even more layers. So the cake is no more baked as a seven layer cake but rather up to each one baking it, it can even have up to 16 layers. The fact that the cake takes almost all day long its up to the patience level of each baker to bake as many he/she can bake.
The cake has travelled with Portuguese to other regions that the Portuguese traded with like Malaysia, Singapore and Macau. I have read that there is layered cake speciality in Indonesia called kak lapi that was introduced to them by the East India Dutch Company, possibly a variation on Bebinca. There are writings on the internet that the reverse flow applies (Malaysia to Goa) to Bebinca however I think its incorrect for the fact that Bebinca was possibly developed much before in the early 16th Century, as Goa was Portuguese territory since 1510, much before the Dutch arrived in Asia and also that some of the Dutch colonies were actually ex-Portuguese territories that the Dutch captured from the Portuguese themselves. So the reverse theory may be hard to believe. Goa was the HQ of Portuguese trading empire in Asia, so it much easier to believe that the dish originated here and travelled else where and also the fact that the other variations in Asian countries mentions the invention or introduction mainly in the 18th Century almost two centuries later than Portugal's arrival in Goa. It could also mean that the other Asian variation on Layered cakes do not have any connection directly with Bebinca but rather to European traditions of baking cakes and may very well have developed independently. It would be intriguing to know from others.
Nevertheless Bebinca is imbibed in Goan food culture and a favourite among goans anywhere in the world. Baking a Bebinca is truly a labour of love and involves a lot of patience. I'm not the one who can wait a whole day or half to bake a cake. It involves baking a layer at time allowing it cool down to add another one than bake again and continue till you have the desired number of layers. Its not hard to bake this cake just needs time and effort and there are no short cuts for that perfect Bebinca or Bebik/Bibik in short, as the Goans would call it fondly.
Egg yolk
All-Purpose Flour
Nutmeg powder
Ghee or butter
Sugar caramel
I'm the one who will enjoy this dish from somebody baking it for me or buying off the shelf at stores (Not the best though). If I were to ever bake one. I will surely update this blog article. But if you wish to bake one yourself there are ample recipes on the internet.
You never know I may have a change of mind and bake one soon. so subscribe to this blog to get the latest updates.
If you are inclined to know more about the history of Old Goa, Please visit the ASI Website. They have ton of information and picture with historical anecdotes.
