Remitbee Family Recipe: Puto Bumbong

The diversity of Canadian residents enable us to try different cuisines from each part of the world. That’s why we’ve collected family recipes from immigrants across Canada for our Remitbee Recipe series. This time, Hannah from Vancouver shares with us her favorite holiday food from the Philippines - Puto Bumbong.

This delicacy has an enduring connection to the Filipino holiday season and is meant to be eaten as a snack. It is commonly sold outside the churches and usually purchased after Simbang Gabi - the nine-day set of novena masses celebrated at dawn beginning Dec 16 to usher Christmas. The name puto bumbong is derived from the bamboo tube called bumbong kawayan used as the mold in steaming the puto.

• Prep Time: 2 days
• Cook Time: 3 mins
• Total Time: 2 days 3 mins
• Servings: 6

Ingredients:

• 1 ⅓ cups sticky purple rice
• 1 ⅓ cups glutinous white rice (malagkit)
• ⅔ cup long-grain purple rice
• 6 cups water for soaking the rice
• ¾ cups muscovado sugar
• 1 ½ cups freshly grated coconut
• ½ cup softened butter

Instructions:

1.Combine all types of rice in a large mixing bowl. Pour water. Soak for 2 days. 2.Drain the water by pouring the contents of the bowl into a large sieve. 3.Put the soaked rice in a large food processor. Start to grind the rice until it becomes very fine. 4.Fill your puto bumbong steamer with water halfway through. Apply heat and then let the water boil. 5.Meanwhile, fill each bumbong (bamboo tube) with powdered rice. Do not compress the rice so that steam can pass easily. 6.Once the water starts to boil rapidly, arrange each bamboo tube on the steamer. Continue to cook until steam comes out of the tube. 7.Remove the tube from the steamer. Arrange the contents over a piece of banana leaf. Spread butter all over and then top with freshly grated coconut and muscovado sugar.

Serve. Kainan na! (Let’s eat!)

If you don’t have bumbong (bamboo tube) and the steamer for it, you may also place the powdered rice mixture in a lightly greased shallow tray. Place it in a steamer then steam for 20 minutes in really high heat or until cooked and tender. Remove the cooked puto bumbong from the tray, then slice and shape into small cylinders.

While enjoying some hot steaming puto bumbong may remind us of spending the holidays with our families and friends back home, sometimes there’s even more to do. Remitbee is here to help. In just a flash, your hard-earned money can be sent back home to the Philippines. With no fees to pay when sending over $500, Remitbee is your best option!

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