Making puto bung-bung

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

BEFORE our usual food-do, may I ask our city officials and powers that:

What on earth is that ugly thing which says “Town Fiesta Carnival” right smack in the center of the city?

Have something to report? Tell us in text, photos or videos.

What is that ugly thing doing in our beautiful park, on the football field where our children enjoy playing during weekends? For heaven’s sake. Diyos ko. It won’t be bon appétit; it will be mal appétit.

On the positive side of things, there is this new innovation at the Solibao Restaurant along Session Road. It’s called the TO GO SECTION. Yes, Virginia, a lot of people still say “to go please.”

This is an old Baguio legacy from the old John Hay, where they didn’t say “take out.” The 'To Go' section of the resto features a lot of food, notably the puto bungbung, bibingka, and shawarma. But I do believe they also take orders from the menu for people in a rush and have to go.

There is also this set menu of theirs which a Norwegian couple told me about and which they enjoyed so much. For P1,300 they will serve you soup, rice, kare kare, fried chicken, pinakbet with fish, dessert (puto bungbung) and coffee. Not bad for that price and for five people. According to my friends, they really enjoyed the meal. And they were really hungry and so the portions must have been adequate.

How does one make puto bungbung? Simple but not so easy. The idea is to have ground sticky rice, (malagkit) food color and that’s it. The food coloring is used if you don’t use the violet malagkit. Then the bungbung is served with young, mind you, young grated coconut and either brown sugar or grated muscovado, read panocha, read sinakob.

Have the rice ground in the market, or grind it yourself, or use a food processor. The rice should be powdered well.

How much? Well if you are just testing, one kilo of sticky rice is enough. When the rice is powdered, pour some water (put colored water if you are using white malagkit) and mold into a ball, do not over water. You should now have a violet ball of ground malagkit. When it is in a ball, pass the rice through a ricer and you should have little granules of sticky rice. Make sure that the granules are well separated and set out to dry slightly.

Now also you should have a bungbungan and a covered pot with holes on the top to put the bunbungan on see illustration. The bungbungans of old are little bamboos with a mesh of loose cotton at the bottom. It still is the way to cook bungbung. The bamboo tubes are about six inches long and wrapped in cloth so that they can be held. The pot covered should be half filled with water and set to a boil. Half fill the bungbungan with the rice granules and steam in the holed pot. The cooking should not take more than eight minutes. Bungbung is traditionally served with grated young coconut and muscovado and salabat or chocolate.

Too much trouble? Go and buy at the Session Solibao. The Solibaos are now managed by husband and wife team of Rocky and Marisciel (nee Buangan) Cating. Like I said, too much trouble to make? Go out and buy. Treat yourself and the family, it doesn’t have to be Simbang Gabi for you to enjoy this native delicacy.

BON APPETIT.