Filipino Blogging Day #23: Kutsinta

Kutsinta is another kind of traditional Philippine rice cake made of rice flour, brown sugar and achuete. It can either be brown or orange and its texture is soft, chewy, but unlike the puto, is not cake-like. Coconut shavings are added for a little crunchy texture. This Filipino food is eaten for breakfast (almusal) and snack-time (merienda). Kutsinta is sold in almost every Philippine specialty store.

*The photo above does not belong to me.

Filipino Blogging Day #22: Puto

Puto (Philippine rice cake) a very well-known Filipino food. It has a soft, moist, sweet texture. Cheese is usually placed on top of the puto for a sweet and salty flavor. Puto can have different flavors such as ube, pandan, coconut. There are also different varieties such as puto bumbong, puto mamon, and puto maya. It is traditionally served on a banana / palm leaves. On holidays, Filipinos usually have puto in their salu-salo's.

*The photo above does not belong to me.

Filipino Blogging Day #21: Philippine Eagle

The Philippine Eagle (a.k.a. the Monkey-Eating Eagle because it is believed to eat monkeys) is the Philippines' national animal due to its size and rarity. It is endemic to the Philippines, which means that it cannot be found anywhere else. This eagle is currently critically endangered, but many wildlife conservation societies are breeding it to save it from extinction. A Philippine eagle couple stays together for the rest of their lives. If one of them dies, the other will find a new mate to replace the deceased one. Its diet is composed of monkeys, smaller birds, flying foxes, snakes, and lizards.

*The photo above does not belong to me.

Filipino Blogging Day #20: Carabao (Kalabaw)

Carabaos or kalabaw, is a domestic animal found in the Philippines, Guam, Indonesia, and Malaysia. These animals look like cows and bulls mixed together. They can either be grey or black in color. Both male and female carabaos have huge horns to protect themselves. They don't have sweat glands, so they bathe in mud or water to keep cool. The dried mud also keeps away insects. In the Philippines, they assist farmers in the provinces to plow fields, carry their harvest to the market (palengke) or are simply used for transportation.

DID YOU KNOW that carabaos weigh 700 to 800 kilograms (almost 2,000 pounds)?

Filipino Blogging Day #19: Anahaw

Anahaw is a round-leaf fountain palm from the Philippines. It is a common landscaping plant that grows in humid, tropical areas. Its leaves can also be used for weaving and food-wrapping. The anahaw tree usually reaches a height of 15-20 meters and 25 centimeters in diameter.

DID YOU KNOW that if anahaw leaves are over-harvested, their leaves grow smaller?

Filipino Blogging Day #18: Atis

Atis is a fruit native to tropical Americans and is a common fruit grown in the Philippines, Pakistan, and India. It may seem really gross with its bumpy green skin, black spots and all, but it is really quite good! It's one of my favorite fruits. Atis, when ripe, is soft and can be opened very easily with your hands. Inside, you would see white, chewy fruit flesh surrounding numerous seeds. There is not much meat inside one atis because it is mostly composed of seeds. It is a little more tiring to eat than other fruits because you have to eat around the seed.

NOTE: I recommend you don't eat atis fruit one seed at a time, or else it's going to take you a billion years to eat one. (I'm just exaggerating)

Filipino Blogging Day #17: Tuyo

Tuyo is a dry, salty fish. It undergoes a process of drying and salting, which preserves the fish. It is quite smelly, but has a mouthwatering flavour! Pinoys usually eat tuyo with egg, garlic rice and dip it in vinegar. It is a classic Filipino breakfast favorite that almost everyone enjoys.

I would love to have tuyo for breakfast!