Suman/Wrapped Sticky Rice

Once in a while, during my vacation days in the Philippines, I have a chance to see fishermen coming from the whole night’s work of trying to catch a livelihood. It’s an exciting part of the day when you see your husband or your brother coming from the ocean safe and sound and in one…

Today is Sunday and my usual agenda would be going to Church then go shopping then eat when I get hungry. Before I get out of the shopping place, I’m already thinking what would I feel like eating today. So I walk and look for eateries close by and I stumble into this quaint, little…

Coconut as a whole has been the livelihood of many people in the Philippines. The fruit for eating, the tree for firewood or furniture, the leaves for making hats, and other uses but also to make wraps for sticky rice we call “suman”. The sticky rice, also known as glutinous rice or “mochi” rice, is…

Last year was the best year for mangoes so I was able to make a lot of mango jams. I have fun picking ripe mangoes almost everyday. But this year though the trees only produce new leaves. The trees were cut down for heavy pruning and so the trees did not have energy to bear…

Pinakbet is probably the most popular dish in the Philippines besides Adobo. Pinakbet is actually a Philippine version of the French Ratatouille except for the Bittermelon and Okra. Bittermelon and okra were added in pinakbet just because they are available all year round in the Philippines. It is a regional type of cooking so almost…