Puto bibingka (rice cakes)

One of the best things about going to the market early in the morning is the availability of a wide array of freshly cooked native delicacies. Rarely will you find them in the afternoon since most are sold before midmorning. I was only planning on buying kutsinta since my husband said he already missed it but then I saw the assortment of puto and I stood there trying to decide which one I would buy. There was the usual colored puto, the white puto, then there was a light brown variety called putong bigas and, finally, the one that really caught my attention because it looked different from the rest, the puto bibingka.

I asked the vendor what it was made of and she said it had gata (coconut milk). Well, I love gata… I bought a pack of four for PhP 20.00 and we had the puto bibingka, some suman and kutsinta for breakfast. If you think they’re expensive at PhP 5.00 apiece, let me tell you that you probably won’t be able to finish two. I had one and a piece of suman and coffee and I was full.

Back home, upon closer inspection, it appears that the puto bibingka were first steamed then placed under the grill to brown the tops. They couldn’t have been totally cooked with dry heat since the leaf wrappings were moist and there were no signs of scorching on the sides and bottom of the puto. Neither did it appear that they were wrapped after cooking. It was evident that the batter was poured in leaf-lined moulds, steamed then grilled. They were really good. Really good.

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