Puto flan

''Puto'' is a Filipino steamed rice cake, traditionally made from slightly fermented rice dough ('' galapong''). It is eaten as is or as an accompaniment to a number of savoury dishes (most notably, '' dinuguan''). ''Puto'' is also an umbrella term for various kinds of indigenous steamed cakes, including those made without rice. It is a sub-type of '' kakanin'' (rice cakes).

Description

''Puto'' is made from rice soaked overnight to allow it to ferment slightly. Yeast may sometimes be added to aid this process. It is then ground (traditionally with stone mills) into a rice dough known as ''galapong''. The mixture is then steamed.

The most common shape of the ''putuhán'' steamer used in making ''puto'' is round, ranging from in diameter and between deep. The steamers are rings made of either soldered sheet metal built around a perforated pan, or of thin strips of bent bamboo enclosing a flat basket of split bamboo slats (similar to a ''dim sum'' steamer basket). The cover is almost always conical to allow the condensing steam to drip along the perimeter instead of on the cakes.

A sheet of muslin (''katsâ'') is stretched over the steamer ring and the prepared rice batter poured directly on it; an alternative method uses banana leaf as a liner. The ''puto'' is then sold as large, thick cakes in flat baskets called ''bilao'' lined with banana leaf, either as whole loaves or sliced into smaller, lozenge-shaped individual portions.

Properly prepared ''puto'' imparts the slightly yeasty aroma of fermented rice ''galapong'', which may be enhanced by the fragrance of banana leaves. It is neither sticky nor dry and crumbly, but soft, moist, and with a fine, uniform grain. The essential flavour is of freshly cooked rice, but it may be sweetened a bit if eaten by itself as a snack instead of as accompaniment to savory dishes. Most ''puto'' cooked in the Tagalog-speaking regions may contain a small quantity of wood ash lye.

''Puto'' eaten on its own commonly add toppings like cheese, butter/margarine, hard-boiled eggs, meat, or freshly grated coconut. In Bulacan, ''puto'' with cheese toppings are humorously called ''putong bakla'' ("homosexual ''puto''"), while ''puto'' with egg toppings are called ''putong lalaki'' ("man's ''puto''") and those filled with meat are called ''putong babae'' ("woman's ''puto''").

Variants

''Puto'' is also an umbrella term for various kinds of indigenous steamed cakes, including those made without rice. The key characteristics are that they are cooked by steaming and are made with some type of flour (to contrast with ''bibingka'', which are baked cakes). There are exceptions, however, like ''puto seko'' which is a baked dry cookie. The traditional ''puto'' made with ''galapong'' is sometimes referred to as ''putong puti'' ("white ''puto''") or ''putong bigas'' ("rice ''puto'') to distinguish it from other dishes also called ''puto.'' It is also similar to '' potu'' in Guam.

Modern variants of ''puto'' may also use non-traditional ingredients like ''ube'' (purple yam), vanilla, or chocolate. Notable variants of ''puto'', as well as other dishes classified as ''puto'', include the following:

Rice-based ''puto''

*''Puto bagas'' - a ''puto'' shaped like a concave disc that is made from ground rice (''maaw''). Unlike other ''puto'' it is baked until crunchy. It originates from the Bicol Region.
*''Puto bao'' - a ''puto'' from the Bicol region traditionally cooked in halved coconut shells lined with a banana leaf. It distinctively has a filling of sweetened coconut meat (''bukayo'').
* '' Puto bumbong'' – traditionally made from a special variety of sticky or glutinous rice (called ''pirurutong'') which has a distinctly purple colour. The rice mixture is soaked in saltwater and dried overnight and then poured into ''bumbóng'' (bamboo tube) and then steamed until steam rises out of the bamboo tubes. It is served topped with butter or margarine and shredded coconut mixed with moscovado sugar. It is commonly eaten during Christmas in the Philippines along with ''bibingka'', another type of rice cake.
* '' Puto Calasiao'' - a ''puto'' from Calasiao, Pangasinan; that is well known all over the Philippines for its melt-in-the-mouth feeling. It is a type of ''puto'' that is shaped in small bite-sized portions.
*''Puto dahon'' or ''puto dahon saging'' - a ''puto'' from the Hiligaynon people that is traditionally cooked wrapped in a banana leaf.
* '' Puto kutsinta'' (typically just called ''kutsinta'' or ''cuchinta'')- a steamed rice cake similar to ''putong puti'', but is made using lye. It is characteristically moist and chewy, and can range in color from reddish brown to yellow or orange in coloration. It is typically topped with shredded coconut meat.
*''Putong lusong'' - an anise-flavored ''puto'' from Pampanga typically served in square or rectangular slices.
* ''Puto Manapla'' – a variant specifically flavored with anise and lined with banana leaves.Philippine Daily Inquirer – Lifestyle section
/ref> It is named after the municipality of Manapla where it originates.
* ''Puto maya'' – more accurately, a type of '' biko''. It is made from glutinous rice (usually purple glutinous rice called ''tapol'') soaked in water, drained and then placed into a steamer for 30 minutes. This rice mixture is then combined with coconut milk, salt, sugar and ginger juice and returned to the steamer for another 25 to 30 minutes. It is popular in the Cebuano-speaking regions of the Philippines. It is traditionally served as small patties and eaten very early in the morning with ''sikwate'' (hot chocolate). It is also commonly paired with ripe sweet mangoes.
*''Puto pandan'' – ''puto'' cooked with a knot of '' pandan'' leaves, which imparts additional fragrance and a light green color.
* ''Puto-Pao'' – a combination of '' siopao'' (meat-filled bun) and ''puto''. It uses the traditional ''puto'' recipe but incorporates a spiced meat filling. It is similar to some traditional variants of ''puto'' (especially in Bulacan) that also have meat fillings.
*''Putong pula'' - a Tagalog ''puto'' from the Rizal Province which uses brown ''muscovado'' sugar, giving it a brownish color.
*''Putong pulo'' or ''putong polo'' - small spherical ''puto'' from Tagalog regions that typically use '' achuete'' seeds for coloring, giving the ''puto'' a light brown to orange color. They are traditionally served with a topping of cheese or grated young coconut.
*'' Putong sulot'' - a version of '' puto bumbong'' that uses white glutinous rice. Unlike ''puto bumbong'' it is available all-year round. It originates from the province of Pampanga and Batangas.
* '' Sayongsong'' – also known as ''sarungsong'' or ''alisuso'', they are steamed ground mixture of glutinous rice, regular rice, and young coconut or roasted peanuts, with coconut milk, sugar, and calamansi juice. It is distinctively served in cone-shaped banana leaves. It is a specialty of Surigao del Norte and the Caraga Region, as well as the southeastern Visayas.

Others

* '' Puto flan'' (also called ''leche puto'', or ''puto leche'') – a combination of a steamed muffin and ''leche flan'' (custard). It uses regular flour, though there are versions that use rice flour.
*''Putong kamotengkahoy'' - also known as ''puto binggala'' in Visayan and ''puto a banggala'' in Maranao. A small cupcake made from cassava, grated coconut, and sugar. It is very similar to cassava cake, except it is steamed rather than baked.
* '' Puto lanson'' – ''puto'' from Iloilo which is made of grated cassava, and is foamy when cooked.
* ''Puto mamón'' – a ''puto'' mixture that has no rice but combines egg yolks, salt and sugar. A mixture of milk and water and another of flour are alternately mixed into the yolks, then egg whites are beaten and folded in before the dough is poured into muffin cups and steamed for 15 to 20 minutes. It is a steamed variant of ''mamón'', a traditional Filipino chiffon cake.
* '' Puto seco'' (also spelled ''puto seko'') – a type of powdery cookie made from corn flour. The name literally means "dry ''puto''" in Spanish. It is baked rather than steamed. Sometimes also called ''puto masa'' (literally "corn dough ''puto''"; not to be confused with '' masa podrida'', a Filipino shortbread cookie).How to make puto seko , Filipino recipes , Pinterest
/ref>

Gallery

File:09198jfFood cuisine fruits Baliuag Pulilan Bulacan Roadsfvf 33.jpg, Large cheese ''puto'' from Bulacan
File:Puto kutsinta.jpg, '' Puto kutsinta'' topped with grated coconut.
File:1511Puto pandan Bulacan 10.jpg, ''Puto pandan'' infused with pandan leaves
File:Puto flan.jpg, ''Puto'' flan, a combination of ''puto'' and leche flan
File:Puto lanson (cassava puto) with bukayo (sweetened coconut) - Philippines.jpg, ''Puto lanson'' made from grated cassava with ''bukayo'' (sweetened coconut meat)
File:09806jfFilipino cuisine foods desserts breads Landmarks Bulacanfvf 21.jpg, ''Puto seco'', a dry powdery cookie made from corn flour
File:Puto mamon (Filipino steamed cupcake).jpg, ''Puto mamón'', made with wheat flour instead of rice flour
File:Puto maya (Philippines).jpg, ''Puto maya'', a type of '' biko'' shaped into little patties

See also

* Appam
* Bibingka
* Espasol
* Idli
* Kakanin
* Kalamay
* Kue putu
* Panyalam
* Piutu
* Puttu
* Rice cake
* Sapin-sapin
* List of steamed foods

References

{{Filipino food

Fermented foods
Foods containing coconut
Philippine rice dishes
Rice cakes
Steamed foods