Ube Biko Recipe - Foxy Folksy (2024)

FAQs

What is biko in English? ›

Biko (Filipino Sticky Rice Cake)

What is kakanin? The name kakanin is derived from two Tagalog words: “kain” (to eat) and “kanin” (rice). It's an umbrella term for sweets made of glutinous rice and coconut milk, two ingredients that tropical countries like ours have in abundance. These ingredients are usually employed in one of two forms.

Measure and Soak

Measure out 2 cups of sweet rice and place it in a pot. Add 3 1/2 cups water, stir and leave to soak for at least half an hour. An ideal soaking time ranges between 30 minutes and 6 hours. By soaking the rice, you're softening the tough outer shell of the grain.

A traditional Filipino dessert, ube halaya is a sweet, creamy pudding dessert that is made from the tropical purple winged yam called ube (read all about ube here). Ube is somewhat like sweet potato, but with a more smooth and creamy texture.

Biko is a sweet rice cake from the Philippines.

Definition for the Tagalog word biko:

biko. [noun] a type of Filipino rice cake / dessert.

Main dishes. Adobo is one of the most popular Filipino dishes and is considered unofficially by many as the national dish.

Biniribid. Biniribid is a type of sweet kakanin and fried doughnut (shakoy) from Bicol.

You could soak it for too long, and it'll become too soft, but that takes a couple hours. As long as you're rinsing until the water is relatively clear or soaking until the water becomes relatively clear, it shouldn't be more than 5 to 10 minutes.

What happens if you boil glutinous rice? ›

But Thai sticky rice (khao niao) is really and truly steamed, because it otherwise disintegrates when boiled.

For the best texture, all types of sticky rice should be rinsed, then soaked before cooking: Rinsing helps remove dirt and dust from processing and shipping, while soaking brings some starches to the surface that give sticky rice it's desired texture.

Purple yam is a great source of potassium, carbohydrates, and vitamin C. Additionally, it provides iron and vitamin A and has very little fat content. They contain potent plant chemicals, such as anthocyanins, which reduce blood pressure and inflammation.

Sweet potatoes tend to have slightly fewer calories per serving than yams. They also contain a bit more vitamin C and more than triple the amount of beta-carotene, which converts to vitamin A in the body.

Is Ube Sweeter Than Taro? Generally, ube is sweeter than taro. It contains much more natural sugar, and its softer texture makes it taste sweeter in your mouth. However, both ube and taro usually have plenty of sugar added to them when used in desserts.

Also known as “sweet rice” or glutinous rice (though it's gluten free), sticky rice is a large white grain that becomes translucent, shiny and extremely sticky when steamed. Sticky rice is a staple in Laos, where it is especially beloved, but it has ardent fans throughout Asia.

What is the difference between bibingkang malagkit and biko? Both these Filipino kakanin are made with glutinous rice cooked in coconut milk and sugar. However, bibingkang malagkit is traditionally topped and baked with a sweetened coconut caramel while biko is garnished with latik or golden coconut curds.

Suman is to the Ilonggos as what biko is to Tagalogs and other places. So don't be surprised if you're given this malagkit rice specialty instead of the one wrapped in coconut leaves which is commonly called ibos in this part of the country. Here's a simple recipe for Suman or Biko.

Biko is often served as merienda (snack) but it is also common as breakfast or dessert. It's sometimes topped with latik, a coconut caramel. I love the consistency of the sticky rice, so dense that it's sliced instead of scooped.