Kakanin Chronicles!

A SEA30 Project. UP-Diliman. By Hannah Sun, Camille Tuppil and Pammy Macasaet.

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BASIKS ON KAKANIN: HISTORY AND KULTURE

For our last post, we wanted to give you some general information and basics on kakanin history and culture in the Philippines.

If there is a staple merienda or dessert food in a Filipino’s palette, it is kakanin. These sweet delicacies are prepared in a variety of ways and come in all shapes, tastes, colors and sizes. Coming from the word “kanin,” the common factor in these desserts is rice. These desserts always have an element of rice whether ground into rice flour, cooked with coconut milk or smothered in muscovado sugar. Rice coupled with sugar, coconut, other ingredients and different ways of cooking no wonder kakanin is such a Filipino favorite.

These desserts date back to pre-colonial times when Filipino ancestors used to offer them to gods and visitors. They were cooked in bamboo shoots or banana leafs. Most of the cooking techniques, simple composition and tastes were preserved up to the present. Until today, it is important part of Filipino culture.

In the morning, when Filipinos are in a rush, they grab suman for a quick breakfast. During merienda or snack time, biko and kutsinta fill the Filipino’s tummies. When Christmas arrives, bibingka and puto bumbong makers fill the street to feed the crowd from simbang gabi. The fire lighting the bibingkahan and steam from the bamboo tubes used to cook the puto bumbong are familiar scene during Christmas. Sapin sapin color the tables during fiestas and espasol and puto are favorite pasalubongs to give friends and family.

There are different kinds of kakanin throughout the region. There is Kalamay from Bohol, Amek Pakbol and Biakey from Mindanao, Espasol from Laguna, Moron from Leyte and many more.

The variety of kakanin is as diverse as the ways they are cooked. Kakanin starts out as rice that is ground into rice flour. There are two types of flour, malagkit (glutinous rice) and galapong. All types of ingredients like ube, pinipig, coconut and different ways of cooking create the varieties of kakanin. Galapong is usually the basis for sapin-sapin, maja blanca, puto, palitaw and bibingka. The galapong is soaked overnight, grounded and strained which gives it a smoother texture. Kutsinta, biko, espasol, suman sa lihia and labis are usually made with Malagkit (glutinous) rice.

Kakanin is truly authentic and indigenous Filipino food. It marries that best of Filipino ingredients and showcases the creativity and innovativeness of Filipinos in cooking. Kakanin should not only be eaten but something to be proud of.

Hope you learned something about kakanin and Filipino culture!!! 

Sources:

Galang, D.A., (2004). Kanin nanaman: kakanin through time and Pinoy’s modern sweet indigena. Retrieved 1 October, 2012 from http://www.mb.com.ph/node/181033

(2006). Filipino kakanin snacks. Retrieved 1 October, 2012 from http://oggi-icandothat.blogspot.com/2006/10/filipino-kakanin-snacks.htm

Jessica Soho's kakanin segment. Retrieved 1 October, 2012 from http://www.filipinovegetarianrecipe.com/food-and-drink/jessica-sohos-kakanin-segment.php

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The Promotional Poster

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Bing's Native Kakanin Visit Part 2: Puto Making

We went back to Bing's Native Kakanin to witness how they make the Puto in the picture below.

We were told before that they usually cook their Puto 6 am-12 pm daily, and so, we went there at around 7:45 am. We were just in time! They are just starting to cook their next batch of puto! However, the owner of the store was hesitant at first to let us take a look at the cooking process. But with much nagging, she finally agreed to let us see the process of making the puto.

Disclaimer: Some photos were blurred because the kitchen has no enough lighting

Before anything else, meet Rene and Remmy.They are the cooks who are making the puto.

And now,we took the pictures of the ingredients: 

First, the "malagkit" rice (glutinous rice):

Coconut Milk with some sugar

Pandan- flavor enhancer

Toppings

"Itlog maalat" or Salted Eggs 

Cheese

Materials used:

Bilao

Banana Leaves

The main component of making Puto is rice. Other ingredients are just added for variance. Since puto,in general, has many varieties, this puto has actually salted egg and cheese on top of it.

Methods:

Step 1: Soak the rice in water. Let it stay for a while until the rice has soften.

Afterwards, you should mill it using the grinding machine.

Step 2: Strain the galapong rice using a strainer

Step 3: Combine the galapong rice with coconut milk and some sugar

Step 4:Afterwards, mix it..

You can also add flavoring.This one has ube flavor

Step4: Pour it in the bilao and let it heat for 20-30 minutes

For the Ube flavor:

Step 5: Close the lid of the pan

Step 6:Wait for at least 20-30 mins.

Let it cool for a while.. And VOILA..

Step 6:

Add the salted egg and cheese for the toppings.

FINISHED PRODUCT

It was relatively easy to make a puto. It just takes a long time since you still have to wait for the rice to be cooked. But nevertheless, it was a fun experience for us.

Also, special thanks to Mang Rene and Remmy for their assistance and to Bing's Native Kakanin

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How to make a biko according to Dynavie of Belen's store.

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Kakanin invades UP!

Did you know that in UP Diliman, there is actually a store that sells kakanin? Well yes, there is! This kakanin-selling store is a small cart located between UP Cooperative and the Shopping Center.

It is called Belen's Store, named after the owner of the store, Belen Pantanilla. The kiosk has been in UP for more than 40 years. The "tindera" of the store, named Dynavie, said that this was a "pamana" (inheritance) from their forefathers. They don't make their kakanin here in UP but at the owner's house which is located at Laloma, Quezon City. Aside from kakanin, they also sell the usual fishball, okoy, lumpia, and pancit canton.

The rice delicacies that they sell are Puto Bigas, Rice Cake, Biko,  Sapin-Sapin, Palitaw, and Buchi.

Puto Bigas

Rice Cake

  Biko and Buchi

Palitaw

(Photo from left to right) Munggo , Sapin Sapin

  Other non-rice delicacies such as pinipig, ube and munggo.

And so, the next time you get to visit UP, drop by Belen's Native Kakanin! 

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Bing's Native Kakanin: The First Visit

We continue on with our search for some of the kakanin shops here in the metro. We found one medium-scale business that sells kakanin in Quezon City. Situated in Suki Market, near Mayon Avenue Corner N. Roxas Baranggay Sta Theresita, Quezon City, is Bing's Native Kakanin and Sushi.

As you can probably tell by their shop's name, aside from kakanin, they also sell sushi! (Wow! Rice really does have a lot of uses!)

Bing's Native Kakanin and Sushi Poster

Bing's Native Yummy Native Delicacies

According to the saleslady, Bing's Native Delicacies, owned by Rowena Mendoza, has been making kakanin for more than 30 years.Their branch here in Suki Market has been going for 6 years. Their first store was opened in Blumentritt, Manila and this is just one of their branches. Most of their kakanin, are just delivered from their main factory which is in Blumentritt. However, they make their large bilao of puto, everyday on their side kitchen.

Can you believe that this whole bilao of puto only costs Php300???

Some of the rice delicacies that they sell are:

1. Rice Cake - their bestseller!

2. Biko (the one in the middle of the picture)

3. Sapin-Sapin - It’s traditionally made of galapong (sticky rice dough) mixed with coconut milk and sugar. This native kakanin usually has 3 layers in it. The first layer is the purple yam, the second layer is made from corn (which makes it yellow), and the last one is left plain.

4.Kalamay Ube - This one is usually made from sweet rice mixed with ube.

5. Akay Akay or Tibok-Tibok - Tibok-Tibok is what they call this rice native delicacy in Pampanga. But in Obando, Bulacan, they call it Akay Akay. This is probably due to a minor discrepancy where in Pampanga they use carabao's milk, while in Bulacan, coconut cream is used. Again, it was made with glutinous rice, or galapong and then mixed with red monggo beans.

6. Suman - Suman is made from glutinous rice mixed with coconut milk and sugar wrapped in banana leaves.

7. Puto - Puto is a steamed rice cake. It has lots of varieties with some adding food color or cheese on top of it. In the picture below, there are many different kinds of puto that are sold in the store.

As was told by the "tindera", these kakanin usually last for 2 to 3 days. There are usually 70-100 people who buy Kakanin on weekends and less than 70 people on weekdays.  

In our next visit, we would be documenting how they make Puto in the big bilao. 'Til the next visit!

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Ate Rose Anne's Kakanin

This is Ate Rose Anne. She's a kakanin vendor in front of the Good Shepherd Cathedral in Regalado Avenue, Quezon City (near the Far Eastern Univesity).

People selling kakanin in front of a church is very common in the Philippines, especially during the Christmas season. After the Misa de Gallo or the Simbang Gabi, people would buy kakanin like bibingka and puto-bumbong.  

These treats are eaten usually for breakfast. Because those who attend the early morning masses aren't able to cook their own food (the masses start really early - around 3AM), most people would resort to just buying kakanin.

Ate Rose Anne is actually the one who makes the suman that she sells. The Filipino suman is sticky rice or malagkit wrapped in coconut leaves. 

As for the other types of kakanin that she sells, she told me that she imports them all the way from Cainta, Rizal!

Ate Rose Anne also sells another type of suman. This time, the rice cake is wrapped in banana leaves instead of coconut leaves.

Yellow puto!

Small colored puto that looked super adorable in pastel shades.

Sapin-sapin strips. 

She even sells tikoy!

Ate Rose Anne also sells non-kakanin delights like cassava cakes.

Ate Rose Anne only sells kakanin during Sundays because this is the only day when masses are held in the church.

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Welcome to Kakanin Chronicles!

This blog is dedicated to the famous Filipino delicacy - the kakanin. Here we will explore the wonderful culture of kakanin in the Philippines.

We will visit several places where kakanin is being made, sold and even eaten. We will try to interview some of the people involved in kakanin-related activities - people who make, people who sell, and even people who eat these sweet native treats. We will also participate in all these activities - we will try to taste the various types of kakanin and even make our own!

This blog is a project for SEA30, a GE course in UP-Diliman.