Puto Bumbong is a funky looking rice delicacy or kakanin here in the Philippines. And other than the sapin-sapin, it’s probably the most colorful Filipino recipe I’ve ever attempted on this site. It’s a very delicious kakanin and some of the best I’ve tasted after a simbang gabi but my first impression of it wasn’t that magical from its presentation alone.
I mean, the kakanin itself looks fine and perfect (the violet color looks stunning) but the shredded coconut, butter, and sugar made it looks like something accidentally spilled on it, I thought. I asked the vendor if that’s really how the puto bumbong should be presented and he said yes, which I found intriguing. Over the upcoming years of attending simbang gabi and regularly buying kakanin after, I still find the kakanin known as puto bumbong quirky looking.
Its taste is delicious though, despite its not so stellar presentation. I thought it was going to taste like ube at first but upon my first bite, it’s actually steamed glutinous rice and messy toppings of shredded coconut, butter, and sometimes sugar makes the perfect combination for this type of kakanin.
Upon researching recipes to replicate to create my own puto bumbong for this site, I came to find that the original puto bumbong recipe doesn’t fully use the common glutinous rice at all but an heirloom variety of glutinous rice called pirurutong or tapol in the Visayan language.
The pirurutong glutinous rice has a stunning deep purple, almost black color that makes contributes to the puto bumbong violet color. Pirurutong is also used for other types of kakanin like biko. Nowadays, vendors would often use food coloring or ube as an alternative to achieve that purple color in making puto bumbong rather than the pirurutong glutinous rice.
Why is this? Well, I came to find out the pirurutong is a rice variety that is endangered, unfortunately, so coming across it is quite rare nowadays, and if you are lucky enough to find it at your local market or supermarket, it can get quite expensive compared to the total of ordinary glutinous rice and violet food coloring.
In the original recipe, the pirurutong was mixed with the ordinary glutinous rice at a larger ratio for steaming, ordinary non-sticky rice can also be used if you want a less chewy consistency. The mixture is then soaked in saltwater overnight–ordinary will also do. This soaking process will give the kakanin a sort of fermented or acidic aftertaste.
The mixture is then drained completely and packed tightly into a bamboo tube who’s insides were greased with coconut oil (modern recipes will use either butter or margarine to grease the insides of the bamboo tube) and steamed. This results in the cylinder-shaped violet kakanin that is puto bumbong. The only thing left is to generously top it with shredded coconut, sugar, and butter.
The vendors will usually steam the rice mixtures right at the sides of churches at the side of the street outside of churches. It’s one of the most common kakanin to eat, along with bibingka, during the Christmas season, especially after midnight mass or simbang gabi.
That’s the original recipe, for my recipe of puto bumbong, I, unfortunately, won’t be using the pirurutong glutinous rice. I looked high and low for this rice variety but my search was unsuccessful. Instead, I’ll be cooking with the more modern ingredients for cooking puto bumbong, ordinary glutinous rice with a mixture of regular non-sticky rice.
I soak these two rice varieties in salt water along with violet food coloring for an hour. Got the rice mixture out of the water and let them dry overnight in a flour sack. To help further squeeze out the water from the rice mixture, I put something heavy on the floor sack it’ll be ready for cooking the following morning.
I also got myself three bamboo tubes (bumbong) to put the rice mixture in and a lansungan that’s specifically made for steaming bamboo tubes. You can use an ordinary steamer for this but I’m predicting it would be tricky to properly get the rice inside the bamboo tubes cooked.
Once I’ve put enough rice mixture into the bamboo tube which I first greased with coconut oil, I’ll just have to attach them onto the lansungan. It’s only a 3-minute wait until the steam will come out of the bamboo tubes and that’s when I know that the puto bumbong is cooked. I quickly remove the bamboo tubes from the lansungan and push out the puto bumbong onto a banana leaf.
I liked the result which is a cylinder-shaped violet sticky rice cake. All that’s left to do is top it with coconut shreds and sugar before serving. It’s a delicious rice delicacy although, I’m still looking forward to when I’ll be using the traditional pirurutong rice variety for this recipe.
Puto Bumbong Recipe
Ingredients
- 500 grams Glutinous Rice Flour
- 3 tbsp coconut milk powder
- 2 cups water
- 2 tbsp violet food color
- Banana Leaf or Aluminum Foil
- Toppings:
- Grated Coconut
- Condensed milk
- Grated cheese
- Margarine
- Leche Flan
Instructions
- In a bowl combine glutinous rice flour, coconut milk powder. Mix well
- Gradually add water and violet food color, mix well with your hand until clay texture
- Grate the dough using grater to make a galapong.
- Prepare a banana leaf or aluminum foil for a wrap and brush with margarine
- Steam for 20 mins
- For toppings brush margarine, add grated coconut, condensed milk, grated cheese and leche flan
- Serve and enjoy!
YOUTUBE
FAQs
Puto bumbong is made from a unique heirloom variety of glutinous rice called pirurutong (also called tapol in Visayan) which is deep purple to almost black in color. Pirurutong is mixed with a larger ratio of white glutinous rice (malagkit or malagkit sungsong in Tagalog, lit.
What makes puto bumbong purple? ›
The purple-hued rice cake (puto) is made with glutinous rice and often cooked inside bamboo tubes (bumbong). Its color traditionally comes from a local dark-purple rice variety called pirurutong, which gets soaked overnight, then ground.
What is the English term for puto bumbong? ›
puto bumbóng
[noun] a type of purple rice cake which is prepared by steaming ground purple rice mixture inside a bamboo tube, often served during the Christmas season. View Monolingual Tagalog definition of puto bumbong » Root: puto.
How long does puto bumbong last in the fridge? ›
"Petite Bumbong" also have a long shelf life of up to two days at room temperature and up to five days if chilled.
Is Puto Bumbong a delicacy? ›
Puto bumbong is a Filipino delicacy traditionally served during Christmas season in the Philippines. For self-confessed foodie Geraldine Cleeman, Christmas and Simbang Gabi are not complete without eating Puto Bumbong after the dawn mass.
What is the taste of Puto Bumbong? ›
Putobumbong in the Philippines
Aside from its seasonal timing, Filipinos love Putobumbong because of its sweet and nutty flavor and chewy texture. Another enticing feature is the aroma coming from the steaming rice and grated coconut.
Where in the Philippines is puto bumbong originated? ›
Origins: Puto Bumbong has its origins in the Philippines, specifically in the Ilocos Region. It is believed to have been first made by the Ilocano people, an ethnic group in the Philippines, centuries ago. The dish quickly spread throughout the country and is now enjoyed by Filipinos of all backgrounds.
Can I reheat puto bumbong? ›
Puto Bumbong is best enjoyed fresh, but you can store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. To reheat, steam the puto bumbong for a few minutes until heated through. Serve the puto bumbong as a dessert or snack during special occasions or as a sweet treat any time of the year.
What is pirurutong? ›
Suman Pirurutong or Sweet Violet Rice Cake is a. Filipino snack made from violet or purple rice and white. glutinous rice. It is slowly cooked with coconut milk, lime zest and brown sugar then topped with toasted.
How to eat puto bumbong? ›
Bamboo tubes are filled with the grounded rice, and after minutes of steaming, the puto bumbong is taken out of the tube with the help of a buttered stick, and placed on a banana leaf. Traditionally, it is served with a spreading of margarine, muscovado sugar, and grated coconut on top.
Puto cuchinta or kutsinta is a type of steamed rice cake (puto) found throughout the Philippines. It is made from a mixture of tapioca or rice flour, brown sugar and lye, enhanced with yellow food coloring or annatto extract, and steamed in small ramekins.
What is puto in American? ›
Puto is the masculine form of the multi-functional Spanish puta, meaning “prostitute.” It's used as a slur against people who are gay and an insult to anyone perceived as weak or contemptible. Content warning: this article deals with extremely offensive language and sensitive topics.
What is bibingka in English? ›
noun. bi·bing·ka bē-ˈbiŋ-kə : a Philippine cake that is made with rice flour, water, and sometimes other ingredients (such as butter, sugar, cheese, or coconut) and that is traditionally cooked between banana leaves.
What is tupig made of? ›
Tupig, also known as intemtem or kangkanen, is a Filipino rice cake originating from northwestern Luzon, particularly the regions of Pangasinan, Tarlac, and Ilocos. It is made from ground slightly-fermented soaked glutinous rice (galapong) mixed with coconut milk, muscovado sugar, and young coconut (buko) strips.
What is the shelf life of puto? ›
It is famous for its soft and sticky texture and it is habitually served as a dessert. Traditionally, these products are packaged in polyethylene bags after steaming and cooling (Ji et al., 2007b). It has a short shelf-life (two days) and loses its softness, quickly becoming stale and hard (Ji et al., 2007b). Ji et al.
Where is Puto Bumbong made from? ›
Traditionally, Puto Bumbong is made from a unique type of glutinous rice called "Pirurutong" combined with white glutinous rice. Pirurutong is deep purple or almost black in color and becomes soft, sticky, and aromatic once cooked.
What is the main ingredients of puto? ›
Puto is a Filipino steamed rice cake delicacy normally eaten as snack. Puto is also, oftentimes, served to accompany savory dishes like dinuguan (pork blood stew) or pancit (rice noodle). The traditional one is made from rice, water, and sugar that is stone-grinded to make the batter or what we call 'galapong'.
Why is the Filipino dessert called puto? ›
The word puto is derived from the Malay word puttu, which literally means “portioned.” The regional variants of the steamed cake take their names from either their appearance or their most notable feature.
Where are Puto Bumbong from? ›
Origins: Puto Bumbong has its origins in the Philippines, specifically in the Ilocos Region. It is believed to have been first made by the Ilocano people, an ethnic group in the Philippines, centuries ago. The dish quickly spread throughout the country and is now enjoyed by Filipinos of all backgrounds.
