Kakanin: The Uncharted World of Filipino Desserts
Cassava cake was my favorite Filipino dessert, or Kakanin, growing up. My mother would often conscribe me to help her make other Kakanin like Puto and Suman. What I remember most about the different Kakanin is the chewy warm texture filling my mouth with each chew. The ingredients were simple, and they were cheap to make. After having seen how Kakanin are truly made in the Philippines, I’ve realized just how much skill and effort goes into transforming simple ingredients into cultural staples.
I’ve only begun to witness that each province has its own traditional Kakanin. Even the nationally famous Suman has a rich array of nuances across the country’s regions. As ubiquitous yet distinct pasta is across Italy, or ramen across japan, rice is equally important to Filipino cuisine. Kakanin, made fundamentally from rice, are one of the foods that bind our regional differences into a coherent Filipino identity.
On a trip to Samar in the eastern Visayas, I learned hands-on how to make various local kakanin. Some were easy to make like Suman; others, like Binagol and Cassava roll, were more difficult. In Bulacan I observed that traditional producers begin their painstaking process early in the morning and proceed through the day with strict focus. I’ve only begun to discover just how much skill and dedication is required to produce authentic Kakanin. And my appreciation and admiration for this staple dessert increases the more I learn about it.
What is Kakanin?
Kakanin is the umbrella name for glutinous rice cakes. Its core ingredients are Malagkit (sticky rice) and Gata (coconut milk). There are secondary ingredients like grated coconut meat, sugar, and more; and there are substitute ingredients like cassava, taro, and more.
Many Kakanin are paired with a sauce or garnish made from Latik, a reduction of cooked coconut milk. One store’s method of making Latik is by boiling down 20L of coconut cream mixed with brown sugar for 2 hours, which is constantly stirred to prevent it from burning. The Latik sauce thickens through the tedious cooking process. It’s impossible not to be amazed at the skill and effort put into making Kakanin. Witnessing how it’s made, I leave with a greater appreciation of it.
However, the most impressive thing about Kakanin is that despite having a basis of 2–3 ingredients, regionalism and the process of cooking can lead to different kakanin.
Variety by Regionalism
In Samar I learned how to make Cassava roll, a regional variation differing from the Cassava cakes I used to make with my mother. What might seem like an insignificant difference can actually be a region’s own analogous tradition.
To make cassava cake, you’ll need grated cassava, coconut milk, condensed milk, and eggs, mixed together then left to bake. Cassava rolls in comparison, require much more time and effort to make. Because it requires molding two large vats of cassava into each other, the cassava must be stirred constantly over heat for an hour until the cassava becomes fully cooked. Like making Latik, constant stirring prevents the cassava from clumping and burning. As the cassava and coconut milk cook together, the mixture becomes increasingly thick and strenuous. This contrasts with the end result of a smooth and chewy roll — a bite through gives you a chewy texture reminiscent of a cassava cake, but a lot smoother and gooey.
Binagol, another kakanin from Samar inspired by the coconut tree filled province, is made by mixing taro, coconut milk, and sugar together over heat until cooked. Latik is ladled into a shaved coconut shell then the Binagol mixture is stuffed in on top.
Tupig, a Kakanin from my mother’s province of Pangasinan, is a grilled kakanin made from a mix of freshly grated young coconut mixed with ground malagkit rice and a dash of sugar. Tupig is currently the only kakanin I know that is grilled.
Greater than the Sum of Its Parts
Being able to witness and even take part in the effort and work required in these processes is important to give a consumer insight and appreciation. So often are consumers detached from the context and craft behind the food they consume. Conversely, some makers detach from tradition to pursue bottom lines. The context and tradition that have made these kakanin so tasty are sweepingly commoditized. Until both context and commercial considerations are balanced, the market for Kakanin will remain undervalued and short of becoming the cultural icons they truly are.
I’ve only begun to re-discover the variety of Kakanin as diverse and rich as the Philippines itself. With each bite, I slowly recall how rich my identity actually is. With every new Kakanin, I become Filipino.
To Watch My Series on Regional Kakanin Making in the Philippines, Check out my YouTube Channel:
IG @chad_the_filipino
This article is published by Pluma Manila, a Creative Platform for Everything Filipino. If you’re Filipino or Pinoy at heart, Be part of our team and share your craft with us. Maraming Salamat!
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