Puto Bumbong

Puto Bumbong

Article by:Jasmine

In the Philippines, the Christmas season lasts a long time, starting in September and continuing all the way until the end of December. During the festive season, people enjoy a variety of tasty treats, and one favorite is called puto bumbong. It is a sweet made from steamed purple rice. If you go near a Catholic church during Simbáng Gabi, the nine days before Christmas Eve, you will see vendors selling these delicious snacks to people attending the church services. The snacks are colourful and steamy, attracting those who pass by.

In Malolos Bulacan, they make a special dessert called Puto Bumbong using certain ingredients. One of the main ingredients is a traditional purple rice called "pirurutong." They also use grated coconut and a good amount of refined sugar. To achieve the dessert's bright purple colour, they use a special kind of glutinous rice that is soaked in salt water overnight, ground smoothly, and then steamed.

Origin

Puto bumbong has its origins in the time when the Spanish were ruling the Philippines. It is thought to have been brought from Mexico by the people who came with Miguel Lopez de Legazpi. During that period, Filipinos were encouraged to wake up early in the morning to attend church and hear Mass. Once Mass was over, they would have breakfast, and puto bumbong along with Salabat was a popular choice to help them feel more awake and energised.

Ingredient

• 1 1/3 cups sticky purple rice
• 1 1/3 cups glutinous white rice malagkit
• 2/3 cup long grain purple rice
• 6 cups water for soaking the rice
• 3/4 cups muscovado sugar
• 1 1/2 cups freshly grated coconut
• 1/2 cup softened butter

Procedure

1. Combine all types of rice in a large mixing bowl. Pour water. Soak for 2 days.
2. Drain the water by pouring the contents of the bowl into a large sieve.
3. Put the soaked rice in a large food processor. Start to grind the rice until it becomes very fine. Note: It took me around 10 minutes to achieve this consistency.
4. Fill your puto bumbong steamer with water halfway through. Apply heat and then let the water boil.
5. Meanwhile, fill each bumbong (bamboo tube) with powdered rice. Note: Do not compress the rice so that steam can pass easily.
6. Once the water starts to boil rapidly, arrange each bamboo tube on the steamer. Continue to cook until steam comes out of the tube.
7. Remove the tube from the steamer. Arrange the contents over a piece of banana leaf. Spread butter all over and then top with freshly grated coconut and muscovado sugar.

References

Barquilla, M. (2018, September 26). Puto bumbong. Foodtale Philippines. https://foodtalephils.food.blog/2018/09/26/puto-bumbong/

Perreault, A. (n.d.). Puto bumbong. Atlas Obscura. https://www.atlasobscura.com/foods/puto-bumbong

Merano, V. (2018b, September 2). Puto bumbong recipe. https://panlasangpinoy.com/puto-bumbong-recipe Photo: https://images.app.goo.gl/CoNHJY6f7Zi48uXs9