What is suman?

Suman is a Philippine delicacy made mainly of sticky rice and coconut milk and in English is usually called "rice cake". It is usually considered equivalent to Mexican tamale, although the other one is often made of "meat", the type of flour, and has some fillings that Suman does not. Rice cake usually has a long, cylindrical or rectangular appearance, although sometimes it has the shape of a pyramid. It is often wrapped in leaves of palms or bananas that give the smell of rice when opening the packaging. Suman has been a long -established part of the Philippine cuisine and can be eaten as a breakfast meal, snack or even during Fiestas and Christmas celebrations. It is said that rice cakes can be traced back to the Philippine pagan era, before the Spanish and amermolonization of ICAN and their Christian influences. During the harvest time, people would use the collected rice and turn into rice meals called "cakanin", which include rice cakes. Cakes would also often be part of the offer of food presented to ghosts and gods and probably also the deceased loved ones.

various regions and provinces in the Philippines usually have their own versions of Sumana, but the most basic cooking method is to cook or soak sticky rice first in water before cooking in coconut milk. It is important that rice is a sticky or sticky variety, because it contains more starch, so rice sweeter and grains are easier to hold together. Some recipes indicate mixing some coconut milk into water for a creamy texture. When the rice is cooked, it is rechargeable, this time in coconut milk, sometimes with a little salt and sugar. SOME SUMAN version mix other ingredients into rice, such as grated coconut or cassava, creating a granular texture.

When the rice filled with coconut milk has finished cooking, several teaspoons are placed on a small piece of banana leaf and wrapped in the desired shape. Banana leaves are usually "cooked" through an open flame first to make them softer and more flexible. When the leavesIt turns more lively green, can be used as a package. Suman is also consumed with different toptings such as grated coconut, coconut jam or simple sprinkling of brown sugar. It can also be immersed in some chocolate sauce or even eat next to a slice of mature mango.