Here is the best merienda/snack quickies you can avail of fast and easy, especially if you're in the Philippines. A cup of hot Barako 3-in-1 San Miguel coffee, two pieces of suman balanghoy or cassava, and a small piece of bibingka.Suman is made with grated cassava and coconut milk rolled into banana leaves and steamed. My favorite version of suman cassava is the one with fresh coconut strips for more flavor. Bibingka or…
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I found this flashy, colorful delicacy at the Vietnamese section of an Asian store and decided to try their version of their biko. I call it biko de kolores obviously because of its flashing colors. It's hard to miss them and the colors are screaming "pick me up" from the shelves. There's nothing extra ordinary about the biko de kolores. It tastes like the regular biko, sticky and not so sweet except that…
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We spell it "kutsinta," "kuchinta" or "cuchinta." However you spell it, it still refers to the same member of the Filipino kakanin family. Kutsinta is steamed rice cake with a chewy, sticky, jelly-like consistency, a favorite all around snack or merienda among the list of kakanin or native delicacies in the Philippines. It is frequently paired off with puto, or white steamed rice cake. Its main ingredients are rice flour, brown sugar, all…
Read MoreOne of the tempting displays at any shelf in a fastfood or restaurant that always catches my attention are those white steamed, meat-filled buns which is a popular food item in the Philippine and Chinese culture. These are called siopao. Siopao literally means "steamed bun" and it the Philippine version of the Cantonese steamed bun called cha siu bao. Siopao is sold in the streets in the Philippines, as well as in restaurants.…
Read MoreFOR six years, I’ve craved for puto maya and sikwate the way they cook and serve it at the public market in Bankerohan in Davao City, and the craving finally was satisfied one late night at the same place I used to have it before. Puto Maya is one of the all-time Filipino favorite delicacies made from malagkit or sweet, sticky rice soaked before being cooked with thick coconut milk and mashed…
Read MoreIF there’s a kitchen away from your kitchen on Saipan that bakes ‘memories’ or favorites that you would lure you back to the islands when you go out, it’s Marg’s Kitchen in Chalan Kanoa. I chanced upon Marg’s Kitchen for the first time on Saturday afternoon while looking for something to eat on-the-go. The endless choices of temptations left us undecided for a long time—an element which we didn’t have the luxury of.…
Read MoreFOR countless decades, native delicacies have been counted among the island favorites by children and adults alike. Too laborious to make, people would rather have the easy way out and buy these native delicacies from those engaged in the business and have mastered the preparation. From time to time, one gets a craving for native delicacies, or foods on the go. These are mouthwatering favorites that you can munch on while walking, sitting…
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