Food Trip: Puto Bao

The first time I encountered and tasted this food was in Lucena City during the Niyogyugan Festival of 2016. Puto Bao or Puto sa Bao was the featured product of the towns of Unisan and Agdangan during the said celebration.
Puto Bao
Puto Bao

At first glance, one would think that these purple delicacies are made from ube or yam, but it is actually made from the same ingredients that are used to make suman and puto bibingka which is glutinous rice or malagkit rice.
How to Make Puto Bao
Puto Bao
Yummy Puto Bao
Surprise!
Puto Bao Quezon
All packed and ready to be consumed!

Puto Bao Ingredients
Nom nom nom!

The real surprise, however, lies not on its purple-colored exterior but on what's actually inside it. The Puto Bao has a filling of shredded coconut that gives it its sweet taste. Puto Bao is best eaten right after it is taken out of the steamer. (Don't worry it would still taste good after several hours out of the steamer).

Puto Bao Ingredients:

Puto Bao
Here's how it looks like
  • malagkit (glutinous) rice mixed with ordinary rice
  • shredded coconut (mature)
  • purple food coloring
  • banana leaves
  • brown sugar
  • salt
  • water
  • cooking oil

How to make Puto Bao:

Steamy Puto Bao
Steamy Puto Bao. Yum!
  1. Soak the rice mixture with the purple food coloring in the salted water for an hour.
  2. Remove it from the water and let it dry overnight (best put it inside a flour sack then put heavy objects on top of it.)
  3. The following morning, fry the shredded coconut with the brown sugar until it turns brownish
  4. Place the cooked shredded coconut in the middle of the purple rice before shaping it into a dome. (Some use the bao or coconut shell to form the shape of the puto bao)
  5. Place it on top of a square-cut banana leaf before putting it inside a steamer.
  6. Steam for about 15-20 minutes.
  7. Serve and Enjoy!
Location: Quezon, Philippines

Comments

  1. AnonymousSeptember 7, 2016 at 9:12 AM

    thanks for featuring the main product of Agdangan.. puto bao of Agdangan is the one deliciously packed in microwavable container and not the one in steamer.. the process of making/cooking is the same but there is a big difference especially in taste.. lols..

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Neil Alvin NicerioSeptember 7, 2016 at 9:59 AM

      Both are Puto Baos however, the one in the steamer is from Unisan's booth. =)

      Delete
  2. AnonymousSeptember 7, 2016 at 10:08 AM

    The puto bao in unisan is made by my aunt, She's the only one who cooks and sells it in our place. We always bought it every time we went to our hometown in unisan and bring it here in Baguio as pasalubong.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Neil Alvin NicerioSeptember 7, 2016 at 11:56 AM

      I'm really happy to hear that. =) I would love to taste you aunt's special Puto bao.

      Delete
    2. AnonymousDecember 23, 2016 at 2:21 PM

      how much per box po kaya?

      Delete
    3. Neil Alvin NicerioDecember 23, 2016 at 8:50 PM

      Free yung akin from the generous folks of Agdangan. As far as I know ibinebenta ito noon sa Niyogyugan Festival P100 per container.

      Delete
  3. UbhieApril 19, 2018 at 12:14 PM

    Sa marunong mgluto po nito.. ano po Ang exact measurements ng mga ingredients. Thank you po..

    ReplyDelete
  4. UnknownJuly 1, 2018 at 5:35 PM

    Ano po measurements of ingredients? Thank u

    ReplyDelete
  5. UnknownJuly 1, 2018 at 5:36 PM

    Ano po exact measurements of ingredients? Thank u

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Neil Alvin NicerioJuly 2, 2018 at 7:44 AM

      Sorry, I'm not sure about the exact measurement.

      Delete
  6. UnknownJuly 15, 2018 at 4:31 PM

    Do they use malagkit rice grains or powder or shredded perhaps? I tried puto bao in lopez, quezon but if i don't recall it having whole rice grains like what you could find in biko, but it's also not as fine as that of a mochi.

    ReplyDelete
  7. UnknownSeptember 17, 2018 at 2:08 PM

    Pwd po bang mag feature kayo ng youtube para malaman kung paanu ang paggawa

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Neil Alvin NicerioSeptember 18, 2018 at 7:52 AM

      Hi Sadly, wala po akong Youtube Channel. =(

      Delete
    2. AnonymousMay 31, 2019 at 11:25 AM

      But do you have any idea or any means of finding the exact measurement more detailed cooking instruction

      Delete
  8. UnknownSeptember 20, 2018 at 9:59 PM

    Ginigiling po ba ang malagkit or as is lang sya?

    ReplyDelete
  9. AnonymousDecember 3, 2018 at 10:56 AM

    hi anonymous i have relatives in Almacen, Unisan (Malveda family) I hope that your aunt will be generous enough to share her recipe and cooking procedures..thanks

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Neil Alvin NicerioDecember 4, 2018 at 6:57 AM

      WOw! Great I hope you could provide details. I would love to share that with my readers.

      Delete
  10. UnknownAugust 3, 2019 at 10:51 AM

    Hanggang ilang days po pwede kung nasa ref?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Neil Alvin NicerioAugust 28, 2019 at 4:08 PM

      I'm not really sure. Di tumagal ng isang araw yung akin. =)
      Safe to say, since may niyog ito, mga 3-5 days siguro edible parin pero pangit na quality nun.

      Delete
  11. UnknownFebruary 11, 2022 at 8:13 AM

    Ilang araw po bago masira ang poto bao

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Neil Alvin NicerioFebruary 12, 2022 at 9:24 AM

      Since may niyog siya, pag hindi nakaref isa o dalawang araw lang.

      Delete

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