''Binatog'', also known as ''bualaw'' or ''kinulti'', is a
Filipino boiled
corn
Maize (; ''Zea mays''), also known as corn in North American English, is a tall stout Poaceae, grass that produces cereal grain. It was domesticated by indigenous peoples of Mexico, indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 9,000 years ago ...
dessert topped with freshly grated
coconut
The coconut tree (''Cocos nucifera'') is a member of the palm tree family (biology), family (Arecaceae) and the only living species of the genus ''Cocos''. The term "coconut" (or the archaic "cocoanut") can refer to the whole coconut palm, ...
,
butter
Butter is a dairy product made from the fat and protein components of Churning (butter), churned cream. It is a semi-solid emulsion at room temperature, consisting of approximately 81% butterfat. It is used at room temperature as a spread (food ...
, and salt or sugar. It is commonly sold as
street food
Street food is food sold by a Hawker (trade), hawker or vendor on a street or at another public place, such as a market, fair, or park. It is often sold from a portable food booth, food cart, or food truck and is meant for immediate consumption ...
in the northern Philippines by vendors known as ''magbibinatog'' carrying characteristic large tin cans, similar to ''
taho
Tahô () is a Philippine snack food made of fresh Tofu#Varieties, soft/silken tofu, ''arnibal'' (sweetener and flavoring), and Sago, sago pearl (similar to tapioca pearls). This staple comfort food is a signature sweet and tahô peddlers can ...
'' vendors.
Description
''Binatog'' is made from dried mature
Lagkitan waxy corn
Waxy corn or glutinous corn is a type of corn characterized by its sticky texture when cooked. It has big round kernels that have endosperms that are almost universally white, though the aleurone layers can sometimes be purple or red which cause ...
kernels soaked in saltwater until the kernels puff up. The kernels are then washed and boiled until very soft. They are then placed into a bowl and topped with grated coconut, butter (or margarine), and sugar to taste.
Modern variants of the dish typically use canned
Mexican hominy
Hominy is a food item produced from dried maize (corn) kernels that have been treated with an alkali, in a process called nixtamalization ( is the Nahuatl word for "hominy"). "Lye hominy" is a type of hominy made with lye.
History
The process ...
to skip the soaking process, but boiled young corn kernels may also be used.
Some variants also use other toppings like
coconut milk
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 ingred ...
(''gata'') or
evaporated milk
Evaporated milk, known in some countries as "unsweetened condensed milk", is a shelf-stable canned cow’s milk product for which approximately 60% of the water has been removed from fresh milk. French inventor, Nicolas Appert, the "father of ...
, in which case it becomes known as ''binatog sa gata''.
The iconic dish can be served in a
coconut shell with coconut
sorbetes
Sorbetes in the Philippines refers to a traditional ice cream originating in the country, uniquely characterized by the use of coconut milk and/or carabao milk. It is distinct from the similarly named sorbet and Sherbet (frozen dessert), sherbe ...
.
See also
*
Ampaw
*
Binaki
*
Ginataang mais
*
List of maize dishes
*
Maíz con hielo
*
Pozole
External links
*
References
{{corn
Maize desserts
Philippine desserts
Coconut desserts