5 Butuanon Native Delicacies
Filipinos love to eat─having three square meals a day plus snacks in between meals. There are a lot of mouth-watering foods and recipes native to the Philippines. The Philippines is an archipelago consisting of diverse culture and traditions; each region has its own set of cuisines and delicacies as well. It boasts of native and sweet delicacies also known as kakanin sold in markets and malls, but some are only made on special occasions. Here are Butuanon native delicacies or kakanin you need to try.
1.Palagsing Palagsing is a Butuanon delicacy which is made in Brgy. Banza, one of the oldest communities in Butuan. Palagsing is brown and sticky like suman. It is made up of unaw or sago starch which is the main ingredient, young coconut meat and sugar. Unaw comes from the bark of the sago palm or locally known as lumbia, which can be found in marshy areas. Unaw starch is a staple food to those who live near marshlands and indigenous people. Palagsing can be bought at Banza where it is made or take a trip to the langihan market where they sell it for 20 pesos for a bundle of 5.
2.Nilusak/ Nilupak Nilupak is made up of cassava or balanghoy in Butuanon. The cassava is mashed or nilusak and mixed with margarine, sugar and grated coconut then rolled into small balls. The cassava balls are then sprinkled with grated coconut. The nilusak is sweet and delectable and comes in a creamy and soft consistency.
3. Pao Pao, a local root crop that’s similar to kamote or yam and is dipped in coconut jam or latik. 4.Tumpi It is a dark flat cake that looks like calamay and is made of sago. 5.Nilambiran Nilambiran is like suman and is made up of two kinds of glutinous rice, a dark reddish brown tinge like chocolate and white glutinous rice. It is then cooked separately with coconut milk, sugar and salt, the two kinds of glutinous rice are then wrapped around each other, and wrapped with banana leaves. This is best paired with a cup of thick and not too sweet native hot chocolate.
Most of these delicacies can be bought at Langihan Market, where kakanin is sold at the side entrance. It is best to pay a visit during Sunday mornings where the kakanins are still fresh and warm, and the time when there are still a lot of options to choose from, but some of these kakanin are specially made by older Butuanons who are experts in crafting these delicacies. Some of these delicacies may be similar to other regions but Butuanon delicacies have their own twist as well, which have become a part of the historical story and unique culture of Butuan.
