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Food Tales

Suman: Filipino sticky rice cakes

Published: 10.16.2021 » Last updated: 02.04.2023

In Asia where rice is a staple, it isn’t surprising to find cakes made from rice. Some are cooked by steaming; others, by boiling. Some are flat; others are not. Among the countless varieties of rice cake, suman stands out.

Varieties of suman (Filipino sticky rice cakes)
Background, left to right: suman sa ibos, suman sa lihia (cooked with lye water) and suman kamoteng kahoy (made with grated cassava). On the plate: suman kamoteng kahoy

What is suman?

In very general terms, suman is a sticky rice cake formed as a round or flattened log. It is wrapped either in wilted banana leaves, coconut fronds or some other leaf before it is cooked. It is a popular snack and every region in the Philippines has one or more versions.

There are suman varieties that defy the very broad definition of rice cake wrapped in leaves. In the photo above, for example the unwrapped suman on the plate is made with cassava.

Tupig, grilled suman (Filipino sticky rice cakes)

Tupig is a rice and coconut cake wrapped in banana leaves and grilled over glowing charcoal. It is ubiquitous in Pangasinan (in Central Luzon) where it is sold either in roadside popup stalls or by ambulant vendors.

How to eat suman

The most common way of eating suman is to simply peel off the wrapping and dip the rice cake in sugar or syrupy coconut jam.

suman (Filipino sticky rice cakes) sa lihia

But, if you’re a tourist and the suman is served in a restaurant, it is likely to be arranged on a plate, already unwrapped, and either sprinkled with sugar or drizzled with coconut syrup.

More ways to eat suman

Suman sa ibos is the most common suman variety in the Philippines. The sticky rice is mixed with salt and coconut milk, partially cooked until dry, then ladled into molds made with coconut fronds. The wrapped and sealed rice mixture is then boiled in water until the grains are completely cooked through.

When newly cooked, suman sa ibos is simply peeled and dipped in sugar, or in a mixture of grated fresh coconut and sugar. Another popular way to enjoy it is by pairing it with ripe mangoes.

But there are far more ways to enjoy suman sa ibos.

suman (Filipino sticky rice cakes) with Nutella, dulce de leche and jam

Instead of sugar, or grated coconut and sugar, try dipping suman sa ibos in salted caramel, Nutella, sweetened peanut butter or jam.

If you want to get even more fancy, try dipping pieces of suman sa ibos in chocolate fondue.

Dipping suman (Filipino sticky rice cakes) in chocolate

After suman sa ibos is past its prime (it’s not as soft and moist the day after), you can fry it and serve it in so many creative ways. Here are two examples.

Fried suman (Filipino sticky rice cakes) with mangoes

Unwrap the suman, and fry in hot oil until the surface is browned and crisp. Serve it on a bed of dulce de leche then drizzle with chocolate syrup. Sprinkling in confectioner’s sugar and serving them with cubes of succulent ripe mangoes are optional but highly recommended.

Fried suman (Filipino sticky rice cakes) with cocoa and honey

Another way is to fry the suman in hot butter, and drizzle honey over them before sprinkling in cocoa and cinnamon.

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Newsletter department

  • #18 Cooking for Lent
    03.23.2023
    A few readers have emailed asking me to post recipes for Lent, and I tell them there is NO need for NEW recipes. Instead, they should try digging into the seafood, mushrooms and tofu recipe archives.

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Connie Veneracion, Chiang Mai, 2020

Hi, I’m Connie!

Welcome to Umami Days, a blog that advocates innovative home cooking for pleasurable everyday dining. No trendy diets, no food fads and definitely no ludicrous recipe names like crustless quiche, noodleless pho or chocolate lasagna.

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