Puto

A very few people understand a really good rice cake!

It's all food this week! Actually, I've been meaning to feature Filipino food but for some strange reason, I always put the thought aside. It's easier for me to photograph a human being or a dead tree than a set of food or anything served in a plate for that matter.

Of course, this would be biased mainly on the food that I like (to eat). And I tell you, I am not much of an explorer of food. I only eat those that are 'normally' or 'usually' eaten (definition is always relative...what is normal to me, may not at all be normal to you). I am all for the universal definition of what food should be (whatever that means). There are a lot exotic food in the Philippines, name it, we got it. Soup frog, fried crickets, field rats, snakes, aborted chick, even those pisonous fishes that the locals could instantly turn into a delicious delicacy. I don't have a strong stomach for those. No matter how you covered them with spices and herbs, they're still frogs and crickets to me.

The photo above is...puto. Some called it sweet steamed rice flour cakes or simply, steamed ricecake or steamed muffins. It's all made of (sticky) rice, some baking soda, white sugar, egg whites. Some put cheese, salted egg, or a piece of fruit on top (depends on your preference). But me, I like it pure and simple...just the whole rice cake. Sometimes, I like it with grated coconut. Three pieces of these are sure to make your stomach full.