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''Uraró'', also known as ''araró'' or arrowroot cookies, are Filipino
Traditional ''uraró'' production is labor-intensive, starting with the harvesting of arrowroots. The roots are washed and then crushed with a stone on a slab of hardwood in a process known as . The liquid resulting from this process is collected and then undergoes a second process, the , wherein it is allowed to sit until the water separates from the starch. The water is poured off and the starchy mass is kneaded to extract more water. Finally the starch is dried and sieved through (
cookie
A cookie is a sweet biscuit with high sugar and fat content. Cookie dough is softer than that used for other types of biscuit, and they are cooked longer at lower temperatures. The dough typically contains flour, sugar, egg, and some type of ...
s made from arrowroot
Arrowroot is a starch obtained from the rhizomes (rootstock) of several tropical plants, traditionally ''Maranta arundinacea'', but also Florida arrowroot from ''Zamia integrifolia'', and tapioca from cassava (''Manihot esculenta''), which is of ...
flour. They have a dry and powdery texture and are usually flower-shaped. They originate from the Tagalog people
The Tagalog people are an Austronesian Ethnic groups in the Philippines, ethnic group native to the Philippines, particularly the Metro Manila and Calabarzon regions and Marinduque province of southern Luzon, and comprise the majority in the p ...
of southern Luzon
Luzon ( , ) is the largest and most populous List of islands in the Philippines, island in the Philippines. Located in the northern portion of the List of islands of the Philippines, Philippine archipelago, it is the economic and political ce ...
, particularly in the provinces of Laguna, Quezon
Quezon, officially the Province of Quezon () and historically known as Tayabas, is a Provinces of the Philippines, province in the Philippines located in the Calabarzon Regions of the Philippines, region on Luzon. Lucena, a highly urbanized ci ...
, and Marinduque
Marinduque (; ), officially the Province of Marinduque, is an island province in the Philippines located in Southwestern Tagalog Region or Mimaropa, formerly designated as Region IV-B. Its capital is the municipality of Boac, the most popul ...
.
Etymology
The name is derived from ''uraró'' (also ''araró'', ''araru'', ''aroru'', or ''aruru''), theTagalog
Tagalog may refer to:
Language
* Tagalog language, a language spoken in the Philippines
** Old Tagalog, an archaic form of the language
** Batangas Tagalog, a dialect of the language
* Tagalog script, the writing system historically used for Tagal ...
and Spanish
Spanish might refer to:
* Items from or related to Spain:
**Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain
**Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas
**Spanish cuisine
**Spanish history
**Spanish culture
...
common name of the maranta arrowroot, ''Maranta arundinacea
''Maranta arundinacea'', also known as arrowroot, maranta, West Indian arrowroot, obedience plant or Bermuda arrowroot is a large, perennial plant, perennial herb found in rainforest habitats of the Americas, but cultivated in tropical regio ...
'', the source of the flour. It is also called (Spanish
Spanish might refer to:
* Items from or related to Spain:
**Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain
**Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas
**Spanish cuisine
**Spanish history
**Spanish culture
...
for 'Liliw biscuits'), after the town of Liliw in Laguna, where it is a regional specialty.
Description
Traditional ''uraró'' production is labor-intensive, starting with the harvesting of arrowroots. The roots are washed and then crushed with a stone on a slab of hardwood in a process known as . The liquid resulting from this process is collected and then undergoes a second process, the , wherein it is allowed to sit until the water separates from the starch. The water is poured off and the starchy mass is kneaded to extract more water. Finally the starch is dried and sieved through (muslin
Muslin () is a cotton fabric of plain weave. It is made in a wide range of weights from delicate sheers to coarse sheeting. It is commonly believed that it gets its name from the city of Mosul, Iraq.
Muslin was produced in different regions o ...
) to produce the flour. The entire process takes an entire day. The flour is then mixed with rendered lard
Lard is a Quasi-solid, semi-solid white fat product obtained by rendering (animal products), rendering the adipose tissue, fatty tissue of a domestic pig, pig.
, duck egg yolks, sugar, and milk. They are then baked in a , the traditional Filipino clay ovens.
Modern ''uraró'', however, are usually made from arrowroot flour, sugar, milk, margarine (or butter), and eggs. In some cases, arrowroot flour is even substituted with tapioca flour
Tapioca (; ) is a starch extracted from the tubers of the cassava plant (''Manihot esculenta,'' also known as manioc), a species native to the North and Northeast regions of Brazil, but which has now spread throughout parts of the world such ...
or rice flour
Rice flour (also rice powder) is a form of flour made from finely milled rice. It is distinct from rice starch, which is usually produced by steeping rice in lye. Rice flour is a common substitute for wheat flour. It is also used as a thickening ...
, resulting in poorer quality cookies. ''Uraró'' can also be modified with other ingredients like coconut cream
Coconut milk is a plant milk extracted from the grated pulp of mature coconuts. The opacity and rich taste of the milky-white liquid are due to its high oil content, most of which is saturated fat. Coconut milk is a traditional food ingredient ...
or maple syrup
Maple syrup is a sweet syrup made from the sap of maple trees. In cold climates, these trees store starch in their trunks and roots before winter; the starch is then converted to sugar that rises in the sap in late winter and early spring. Ma ...
. Both of these versions usually lack the melt-in-the-mouth quality of traditional ''uraró'' made with pure arrowroot flour and lard.
''Uraró'' are traditionally sold in cylindrical stacks wrapped in colored crêpe paper
Crêpe paper is thin, textured, and often colorful decorative paper used in paper craft. It is created by adhering wet tissue paper to the cylinder of a Yankee dryer and then scraping it off with a blade once dry. This process creates gathers in ...
(). ''Uraró'' are similar in texture and are sometimes confused with ''puto seco
''Puto seco'', also known as ''puto masa'', are Filipino cuisine, Filipino cookies made from ground glutinous rice, cornstarch, sugar, salt, butter, and eggs. They are characteristically white and often shaped into thick disks. They have a dry, p ...
'', another powdery Filipino biscuit. But ''uraró'' are not as dry as ''puto seco'' and have a milky and buttery taste.
See also
*Puto seco
''Puto seco'', also known as ''puto masa'', are Filipino cuisine, Filipino cookies made from ground glutinous rice, cornstarch, sugar, salt, butter, and eggs. They are characteristically white and often shaped into thick disks. They have a dry, p ...
*Polvorón
A polvorón (From , the Spanish word for powder, or dust) is a type of heavy, soft, and very crumbly Spanish shortbread made of flour, sugar, milk, and nuts (especially almonds). They are mostly produced in Andalusia, where there are about 70 f ...
* Mamon tostado
* Rosquillos
References
External links
* {{Filipino food Philippine cookies