Suman makes a great dessert for a traditional Noche Buena meal, or they can even be meals on their own if you don’t want to eat anything too heavy at that late hour. This sticky-rice pastry is wrapped in a banana leaf and eaten dipped in sugar or in hot chocolate. There are as many different kinds of suman as there are provinces in the Philippines since each region has its own variation of the pastry. In Metro Manila you can get suman in all sorts of flavors, from chocolate to ube-langka for about twenty to thirty pesos apiece.

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Dolor’s Kakanin is probably known as the ultimate brand in kakanin. They are just as good as the homemade kakanin in the province. I was able to buy assorted kakanin at the SM Hypermarket in Libis, Quezon City just beside Tiendesitas. For 140 pesos, I got a variety of kakaning in an 8 inches diameter wide bilao. The larger bilao (11 inches in diameter) is 190 pesos while the medium bilao (10 inches in diameter) is 170 pesos.

Now this is an attractive centerpiece for celebrations and even for snack.

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Even if you’re located in the US, you can still make Cassava Cake. Just buy the ingredients at the Filipino Store. This cassava cake recipe is from my sister in San Francisco. It’s been tested and eaten with gusto by her family.

Ingredients:

2 packages grated cassava
1 can coconut milk
1 bottle macapuno strips
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 can condensed milk

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Puto Bumbong from Via Mare

This is the almost perfect puto bumbong you can ever eat in an urban center. And you can order two pieces at 67 pesos at any Via Mare Restaurant. After a stressful shopping spree at Landmark Makati, I chose to rest at the Via Mare on the second floor right beside the ladies bag section. I was thrilled that they offered Puto Bumbong. I forgot how puto bumbong tasted like after my horrifying experience with the Puto bumbong vendor at the church grounds. Before I talk about Puto bumbong of Via Mare, allow me to share how some commercial puto bumbong vendors “cheat” us out of the real puto bumbong experience. Here is the puto bumbong which I bought for 20 pesos from the vendor after the misa de gallo.

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If you are a balikbayan or returning Filipino this Christmas season, you don’t have to wake up during the misa de gallo just to taste Puto Bumbong. There is a stall inside the Taste Asia, of SM Mall of Asia or in their branch in Frontera Verde. For 26 pesos per serving, you will get to eat piping hot puto bumbong served on banana leaves.

They cook Puto Bumbong right in front of you.
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I’m always on the lookout for yummy kakanin that the stall owner actually owns. In most kakanin stands in the malls or the supermarkets, the supply of kakanin is actually bought wholesale. Over at the Shopwise supermarket along the E. Rodriguez (C-5) avenue, I found the “Only N D Phils” kakanin stall by the basement. Just looking at the display gave me an idea that this particular kakanin stall made their own kakanin

First of all, the bilao is not large. Secondly. the top filling is thicker and not dry. I asked the owner if she made the kakanin herself. Yes, her production center is located in Bulacan. I wanted to taste a piece and decided on the Cassava cake.
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My friend from the USA sent me this recipe on how she makes cassava cake. When I saw that she used frozen cassava, I was surprised. It’s been awhile since I’ve gone to a Filipino grocery in the states. I am sure a lot of Filipinos can still come up with our native delicacies as long as the Filipino stores carry these ingredients. So here is her recipe:

2 packs frozen cassava

2 packs frozen buko

2 eggs

2 cups sugar 2 cans (16 0z) coconut milk

1 tablespoon vanilla

1/4 cup melted butter

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