Ah, The Good Old Suman Sa Latik

I haven’t tasted this for quite sometime but I chanced upon a vendor selling it at 3 pieces for P50.00.  They call it suman sa latik –  made from glutinous  rice (malagkit), wrapped in banana leaves then boiled to cook. It’s the latik (coconut cream mixed with brown sugar) that makes it so delicious and tasty. It’s perfect for that hot cup of tea or coffee.  In our province in Pangasinan, we prepare suman  by wrapping them in young coconut leaves after cooking it in  coconut cream then boil it again to get that nice flavor.  I say, ours is better when it comes to taste, not that I am biased of course because suman sa latik is actually bland without the latik. And would you believe that there are as many ways to cook suman as there are so many provinces in the Philippines? Take your pick from what region they come from and they’ll surely vary in taste the more you explore the countryside.

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Remembering Christmas Past

My memories of Christmas past, aside from the hope of always completing Misa de Gallo was all about food. No, They were not your usual fusion cuisine that we get to see in specialty restaurants nowadays but they were all simple fare that our parents  prepared for the occasion. Back in the province when I was in grade school, having Pancit Bihon, Suman, and Binongey  for Noche Buena was considered a feast for us.

One such famous delicacy from our province in Pangasinan which is also served during Christmas is Tupig, made from glutinous rice, mixed with sugar and  grated young coconut wrapped in banana leaves then baked over charcoal. I tell you, it’s one of the best there is in our place.  These rice cake preparations are both associated with Christmas and New Year.

We call this Binongey, it’s also made of glutinous rice or malagkit and mixed with coconut cream then cooked  in cut bamboo tubes over live coals. It tastes like Suman but has that distinct flavor which makes it more yummy and delicious.

Some non-Pangasinense  (Pangasinense being the natives of the place) confuses the Suman we have there with the Tupig, we use the same ingredient like the glutinous rice and coconut cream but the Suman  is wrapped in these home-made young coconut leaves  unlike the other version in some provinces where they use banana leaves.

I do miss all these.  Here in the city, there are always the proverbial ham, roast chicken, Lechon, fruit salad, pasta dishes and other recipes that you would dream of preparing but nothing could bring back that smile on my face when I see these  sweet delicacies  placed on the dining table. It reminds me of Christmas past, back when life was simple.

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