Budbud is often mistaken as a regular suman. Surely that's right, it is a kind of suman. But comparing it to other variations, it has something special that makes it unique by itself. Filipinos enjoy it as a light breakfast or as a filling snack.
Dumaguete City is famous for its sweet delicacies. Its people have their own brand of silvanas known all over the country because of their deliciousness. And like many other Filipino cities and provinces, they also have their own take on the traditional Pinoy delicacy known as suman. They didn’t stray from the delicacy’s original concept which is using glutinous rice as the main ingredient. What they did was to add more excitement to the dish - something that will remind the tourists that it is a special of the Dumagueteños.
As someone who enjoys traditional Filipino food, I make sure that I get to eat them with my family as much as possible. Since we left the Philippines, I figured it would be hard for me to get these goodies unlike before. So I decided to make them by myself at home instead. Admittedly, it was quite hard at first. But I enjoyed cooking so much that doing different recipes just became a normal habit. This time, I took the time to make some budbud for my family.
Tips How to Make Budbud
- Constantly mix when making the mixture to avoid it from sticking around the pan.
- If you want to try the authentic Visayan version, add grated ginger and serve it with hot chocolate or sikwate.
- Clean and heat the banana leaves before using so it won't break.
A serving of budbud tastes best when added with ripe mango and hot chocolate. It is perfect for a chill afternoon if you want to do nothing else but relax. At the same time, you will get a taste of real Filipino treats that you will love.
Recipe
Budbud Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups glutinous rice
- 3 cups coconut milk
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 thumb-size ginger sliced
- ½ tsp salt
- banana leaves
Instructions
- In a large non-stick pan over medium heat, combine the glutinous rice, coconut milk, sugar, salt and ginger. Mix until the sugar is dissolved. Cook for at about 10-15 minutes or until the liquid is reduced and rice is half-cooked.
- Clean and pass over the banana leaves on a gas flame to make it soft. Put about 2 heaping tablespoon of cooked rice on a banana leaf and shape into a log, leaving about 1 inch on the side.
- Remove the visible ginger on the mixture then roll the banana leaves tightly to form a log and fold the edges to seal. Tie each budbud with banana leaves string.
- Place in a steamer over boiling water and steam for 35 - 45 minutes or until the rice is fully cooked. Remove from the steamer using a tongs and let it cool.
- Serve with hot chocolate for your afternoon snacks or breakfast.
Venessa says
Thank you for sharing, I never wrote down my late mother-in-law’s recipe and this sounds like it from what she described to me. I’m going to make it for the holidays because my husband is really missing her.