Philippine Food Illustrated: cooked rice

August 25, 2017

angkak

angkak – /ang-kàk/ (Tagalog and Capampangan food coloring and fermentation agent; dw Chin. Hokkien an khak [reddish leaves used in fermentation] < an [red] + khak [shell or husk]) [n.] red yeast rice (sc.name: Monascus purpureus)

I found this angkak rice in the public market of Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija in July 2017.

Angkak is a Mandarin orange food coloring. A Chinese tangerine food coloring obtained from a plant with reddish leaves, or rice treated with species of red mold.

This angkak rice is priced at PHP320.00 a kilo when I found it in the public market of Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija in July 2017.

Angkak rice is not for cooking into kanin (boiled or steamed rice), but can be added to cooking rice as a food color.

The Capampangans, Bulaqueños, Novo Ecijanos, and Tagalogs are fond of using angkak in coloring and as a fermentation agent for burong isda (fermented cooked rice with fresh fillet of freshwater fish, i.e. tilapia, bangus, ayungin, etc.), and in bagoong alamang (shrimp paste, a.k.a. balaw-balaw).

Angkak rice

Angkak produces bright pastel pink color, a classic food coloring that is now fast disappearing because of artificial instant food colorings.

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December 22, 2010

pasong (rice in banana leaf)

Pasong from a food stall in Cotabato City.

pasong - /pá-song/ (Maguindanaon rice meal) [n.] conic rice. Steamed rice wrapped in banana leaf folded into a conic shape.

Plain ordinary rice is steamed into kanin. A ladle scoop of steamed rice is wrapped in banana leaf and folded into a conic shape. Before wrapping, the banana leaf wrapper can be made pliant by wilting. It is done by passing the leaf over the flame or hot ember.

This is how the Maguindanaos of Mindanao sold their cooked rice or packed them as baon (food brought along to work or travel).

The packaging is very environmentally friendly as it uses a banana leaf as a wrapper and not the non-biodegradable and health-hazard sheets of plastic cellophane or styrofoam. Not, unless you use a plastic bag to hold the pasong when buying it.

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