The Famous 8 Filipino Native Suman

 In the Philippines, a festivity or a party is nothing without a Filipino native delicacy or kakanin. It is both a dessert or take home pasalubong. One of these native delicacies is suman. Suman is popular during Christmas, New Year and weddings.

Suman is usually a mixture of sticky or glutinous rice, coconut milk & sugar, wrapped in banana leaves and steamed or boiled. There are a variety of suman prepared in the Philippines. Some of these are regional and some depend on the ingredients or cooking preparations. Eight of the most popular suman are:

1. Suman sa Lihia - uses lye (lihia) as important ingredient; recognizable for its light green color.

2. Suman sa Ibos - sticky rice is wrapped in buli leaves; best eaten with ripe mangoes.

3. Suman sa Latik - the latik was the remains of boiling coconut milk and added to the glutinous rice, coconult milk & sugar.

4. Tupig - Ilocano version of suman with grated coconut and sesame seeds; cooked over charcoal.

5. Suman sa gata - sticky rice, coconut milk and sugar/salt.

6. Sumang kamoteng kahoy - uses cassava instead of glutinous rice.

7. Sinabalo - originates from Cagayan Province; uses bamboo tubes instead of banana leaves and cooked over live charcoal. It is also called "binungey" in Pangasinan.

8. Balisongsong (or Patupat) - A Bicolano suman made up of ground rice (ordinary or sticky rice), coconut milk, sugar and grated coconut.