Top 7 Popular Kakanin Snacks Loved in the Philippines

The ultimate icon of Filipino childhood merienda is not ice gems, mikmik milk powder, or sweet corn—while those are peak nostalgia favorites, the real ultimate is kakanin!

What is kakanin?

Coined from the Filipino words “kain” (which means “eat”) and “kanin” (which means “rice”), kakanin is a generic term used for many types of Filipino rice cakes, which are often sweet and mainly made of glutinous rice and coconut milk. I know, peak Asian tropical country combo, and we’re here for it.

Kakanin is typically eaten for breakfast or as an afternoon snack by people of all ages, and is often sold on wooden carts by street vendors.

Now, how cultural of a food is kakanin? I’ll picture it out for you:

A typical afternoon in an average Filipino household involves a mom doing her laundry and her kids playing with their friends on the street. Eventually, the kids run back to the house to ask for coins because a kakanin vendor has just arrived in the area. And most often, the mom is going to buy too, for the family AND the neighbors, because kakanins are just that good, and because hospitality is basically etched in Filipinos’ DNA.

Top 7 Popular Filipino Sticky Rice Cakes in the Philippines

Biko (Bibingkang Malagkit or Sticky Rice Cake)

No one really knows, but biko might just be the blueprint for Filipino kakanin. It’s a sweet sticky rice slowly cooked in coconut milk and topped with coconut caramel — it embodies the simplest way of cooking and presenting the ingredients. Though simple, its satisfying bites make it the most timeless variant among all other kakanins. Moreover, it’s quite common in almost all parts of the country, unlike others which may be a bit difficult to find in some areas. It’s like the Maya bird (Eurasian Tree Sparrow) — you see them everywhere, but they are an unspoken national symbol for some reason. No diss to the carabao, they are peak Philippine representation.

Bibingka

Traditionally, bibingka is made from ground fermented sticky rice, coconut milk, water, and sugar. Once the thick batter is formed, it is poured into clay molder containers lined with banana leaves, topped with more banana leaves, and surrounded by hot coals. This cooking technique makes a soft, spongy cake with the distinct scent of toasted banana leaves.

Bibingka is enjoyed in quite a lot of ways, like with a mug of hot coffee, tea, or even milk! While it is made with rice, its soft texture makes it perfect for breakfast and for midday snacking that’s just somewhere between heavy and light.

Grated coconut is a commonly used topping for this rice cake, although salted egg isn’t exactly uncommon. What’s quite uncommon is covering the entire cake with it, like this one from Fram Food Hub!

Salted egg is the perfect taste enhancement for bibingka, especially if your rice cake is more focused on texture instead of flavor. And truth be told, it’s quite rare to find sellers that are generous enough to offer this kind of product, more so for an affordable price!

Palitaw

I might be stereotyping for what I’m about to say, but I believe palitaw is every kid’s favorite. I remember most of my childhood friends being addicted to palitaw, me included. It has this very distinct taste due to sesame seeds and sugar that’s highly in contrast to most rice cakes that are heavy on the taste of starch. Palitaw is nutty and sweet at the same time, and the coconut flakes are straight-up texture heaven.

Palitaw is made by soaking glutinous rice grains overnight and processing it into a soft dough by grinding. The dough is formed into thin patties, cooked in boiling water, and then coated with grated coconut, toasted sesame seeds, and sugar.

Fun fact: Its name is from the Filipino root word "litaw" or "to surface," as the patties will float or rise to the water's surface when done. It's also called "dila dila" in other parts of the country because of the shape of the patties resembling a tongue.

Puto Bumbong

Just like bibingka, puto bumbong is a rice cake mostly associated with Christmas. It’s quite rare to find them for sale during any other season compared to the former, but we do wish they were more commonly sold.

Getting its hue from a variety of sticky rice known as pirurutong (also known as black rice), which is naturally a dark brownish purple. Preparing pirurutong typically takes several days. It begins with soaking a mixture of pirurutong and white sticky rice in salt water overnight. The mixture is then ground (either with a grinding stone or food processor) and hung to dry. Once it’s reached a moist texture, the rice concoction is poured into bumbong ng kawayan, or bamboo tubes, and steamed until it becomes a deep purple.

After removing the rice from the tubes, a cylinder atop a banana leaf was set, generously slathering with butter or margarine, and topped with a mix of freshly-grated coconut and muscovado sugar or cheese of your choice. It is encouraged to dig in immediately, as puto bumbong is a snack best eaten hot.

Suman Latik

Suman latik is another simple yet addictive type of rice cake loved by Filipinos. It’s your typical kakanin that’s made of glutinous rice and coconut milk, except with a finer texture compared to biko and others alike.

Unlike the usual suman seasoned with sugar, suman latik has a rectangular, somewhat flat shape and is dipped in or topped with coconut caramel sauce, giving it a little bit of a fancier look than the typical suman or other kakanins, depending on your taste. I have actually spotted it on a menu at one of the cafes I have been to which do not even sell rice cakes in general.

Pichi-Pichi

You can almost call pichi-pichi an impostor. Although it has a starchy, kind of sticky texture, it’s not exactly a rice cake. But we do not kick it out of the kakanin family. Pichi-pichi is easily one of the best rice cakes in the Philippines!

Pichi-pichi is a Filipino dessert originating in the province of Quezon, and is made of grated cassava (manioc yuca), sugar, and water. After mixing all ingredients together, they are steamed in cup molds for about 30 mins until they gradually become translucent. They are then cooled down and rolled in grated coconut and/or topped with grated cheese.

Kutsinta

Kutsinta is one of the most commonly sold rice cakes on the streets by peddlers who carry around aluminum containers. Its name is believed to have originated from either of two things: a kitchen tool used to make it flat and saucer-like or Kueh Tsin Tao, a Hokkien word meaning small cookie or cake.

Fun fact: There is an old belief that says kutsinta, being sticky, conveys the idea of “making the family stick together”. It is also believed that having kutsinta on New Year’s Eve will bring good luck and sweet relationships.

Kutsinta is made by a mixture of all-purpose flour, tapioca flour, water, and sugar. Once the mixture is smooth, the annatto/ahuete powder may be added next, followed by lye water. Once incorporated, the mixture is then poured into molds and steamed for about 40 minutes until set. After cooling, they are ready to be removed from the molds and served with grated coconut!