Philippine Food Illustrated: tsikalang

March 20, 2011

tsikalang

tsikalang – /tsi-ka-láng/ (Cebuano and Chavacano (Zamboangueño) snack of southern Mindanao) [n.] fried rolled purple glutinous rice.

Other local name:

Also spelled as chicalang in Chavacano (Zamboangueño)

The purple glutinous rice is ground and mixed with some trigo (wheat flour) and water, moderately enough to make a rice dough. A handful lump or cut of this rice dough is rolled to the size of a banana fruit and then fried in deep cooking oil. When frying is almost done, it is sprinkled with brown sugar and cooked until the sugar would caramelize and coat the fried rice dough. The caramel-coated rice dough is then removed from the pan and set to cool.

The cooked tsikalang is then skewered in a bamboo stick similar to that of a banana cue (fried saba banana in a bamboo stick).

A bite of tsikalang is a bit chewy because it is made with glutinous rice.

Tsikalang in Pagadian City is skewered in bamboo sticks.

In other parts of southern Mindanao, like in Zamboanga City, tsikalang is shaped like a twisted donut or big pinilipit and is not skewered in bamboo sticks, but coated with flour and caramelized sugar.

Tsikalang in Zamboanga City is shaped like a twisted donut or big pinilipit with flour coating.

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