Most people have an affinity for sweets. It is common to give in to our cravings to satisfy our own sweet tooth. There are arrays of sugar filled products that can do the job, from pastries to candies to chocolates.
To say Filipinos have a sweet tooth would be an understatement due to the fact that every region boasts its own sweet dessert recipe. After every meal and during mirienda time (break), the average Filipino takes his traditional snack which is commonly a sweet delicacy.
Rice is a staple food in the Philippines and coconut and other tropical fruits are available all year long. Filipinos have resourcefully incorporated these ingredients to their snacks. Here are some of the favourite Filipino mirienda from different parts of the country:
Tupig= a traditional mirienda from Pangasinan. It is made with glutinous rice, coconut milk and shredded young coconut meat. It is wrapped in banana leaves and cooked over red hot coals. Each piece costs around 2 pesos.
Suman= Budbod, as the Visayans call it is a delicacy made with a mixture of sticky rice and coconut milk. It is wrapped in young palm or banana leaves before it is boiled or steamed. It costs 2 pesos each.
Puto= a steamed rice cake popular throughout the country. The provinces of Laguna and Ilo-Ilo have excelled in producing and selling their own selection. There are many ways to eat puto, you can either top it with cheese, butter or grated coconut or eat it with dinuguan. The price of puto depends on its size and variety. Bite sized plain puto costs 1 peso each.
Karioka= a Tagalog dessert made with milled rice and grated coconut. It is fried and glazed with brown sugar and arranged on a barbecue stick. It is crunchy on the outside and soft and gooey on the inside. It costs 10 pesos per stick.
Mamon tostado = toasted sponge bread made with flour, duck eggs and sugar. The process of making mamon tostado is laborious since you have to re-bake the soft sponge bread to achieve the toasted effect. A properly baked mamon tostado is soft and not dry on the palate. One pack of mamon tostado costs around 20-30 pesos, depending on the size.
If you come to the Philippines, you will find a lot of exotic desserts to choose from. Although each region might have a variety of recipes, everything is still connected to each other.
/// Written by Kimberly Collado, The Philippines
