Puto Calasiao - The Best Bite-Size Delicacy From Pangasinan

One of the happiest moment for most of the baby boomers is taking a vacation to their native lands. Just like we, the 90’s babies, baby boomers are also into going back their childhood. Whenever they are in their birthplaces, most of the things they do is reminisce.

My mother, in celebration of the all souls’ day went home to Pangasinan. She spent five days there. When she got home, she took home different delicacies and exotic foods like bagoong (shrimp paste), binuro (fermented fish) and many more.

But, of my most awaited pasalubong from my mother was the Puto Calasiao.

Puto is a rice cake shaped like a muffin. This version from Pangasinan is bite-sized. Originally from the town of Calasiao, this rice cake is considered as one of the most prized delicacy of the region.

Nilatikang Bibingka from Pangasinan

Pangasinan has been a home for delicious foods from main course to desserts. This is the home for the most delicious bangus, shrimp paste, tupig among others.

When they arrive, Tuesday in the evening, they are both carrying fruits and vegetables that they pick from my uncle’s yard, bagoong (shrimp paste), 6 peices of inihaw na bangus and a big box of nilatikang bibingka.

Nilatikang Bibingka is a kakanin (rice pastry) made from native rice that is first toasted, added with sugar, milk, coconut milk and cooked using charcoal with banana peel as the mold. The unique about this is that the rice is not in powdered form. So, it looks like “biko.” But locals claim that it’s bibingka.

The latik is a caramelized sauce made by boiling coconut milk with sugar cane juice. Some put cassava flour to thicken this. My mom said that the secret is cooking the mixture in a low fire to prevent the latik from getting burnt.

My mom almost got this kakanin for free as she bought it from one of my relatives. My mom said the one who cooked this is a childhood buddy of her. She said that my aunt (mom’s cousin) only wants her to pay for the ingredients she used for cooking the nilatikang bibingka. But, my mom insisted to pay P500.00 for a large winnowing basket. It’s quite cheap if you will order this one here in Quezon City, probably about P800.00.

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