Sapin-sapin is a Filipino dessert made of
malagkit (
sticky rice) flour, sugar and coconut milk, and cooked by steaming. The different colors come from additional ingredients (and food coloring) which give the basic recipe different flavors. Depending on the cook, these could include
ube (purple yam), corn, sweet potato and even squash (think pumpkin pie).
Sapin-sapin means layered, and slicing into the white pieces will reveal at least two other layers with different colors and flavors. This particular sapin-sapin features a center of
biko, another sweet glutinous rice delicacy. If you like coconut, you can sprinkle toasted coconut flakes over it or, better yet,
latik—the result of heating coconut milk until the oil separates from the solids.
Because of it's festive colors, sapin-sapin is popular Filipino party fare. So what better way to celebrate My Manila's 2nd anniversary than with something sweet and very Pinoy. Thank you, everyone, for your wonderful encouragement these past two years—it is because of you that I have managed to continue blogging for this long. It has been a joy showing you Metro Manila and other parts of the Philippines, telling you about our customs, history and art, and all other manner of things (even the not-so-nice ones), and I hope that you've found it enjoyable too. Again, thank you.
