Puto bumbong that is sold on a sidewalk stall near the Mandaue City plaza is topped with grated cheese and condense milk. | Doris C. Bongcac
MANDAUE CITY, Cebu – When was the last time that you ate puto bumbong?
This street food is a popular snack that is usually served after Misa de Gallo during Christmas season.
But in Mandaue City, you get to eat this steamed rice cake when you drop by a sidewalk stall that is located near the Mandaue City Hall plaza.
En-en Castillo, a resident of Barangay Paknaan in Mandaue City, said that she and her two companions would go to the area every night to sell puto bumbong. They have been doing this for almost a year now.
Castillo said they started selling during the Mandaue City fiesta on May 8, 2022. Since people liked their puto bumbong, they decided to come back to sell every night.
Buyers wait while Castillo and her two companions prepare puto bumbong. | Doris C. Bongcac
“Katong Pasko og new year naninda pud mi diri,” she said. (Last Christmas and New Year, we also came here to sell.)
The business that she learned from her parents has been doing very well.
One of her two male companions said they are able to consume about seven kilos of Chinese glutinous white rice (pilit) each especially on weekends.
They mix the finely grounded Chinese glutinous white rice with purple yam (ube) colouring.
A small amount of water is then poured into the mixture.
They then place the mixture in bamboo tubes to steam.
The mixture is placed on bamboo tubes to steam. | Doris C. Bongcac
The already cooked mixture, shaped like cylindrical rice cakes, are then rolled into grated coconut. It is also added with grated cheese and condensed milk for added taste.
For P50, you already get three pieces of this yummy street food.
Tilawi ninyo! (Taste them!)
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