When I was a little girl, biko was the mildly sweet rice cake snack I anticipated as soon as I got home from school. It was newly cooked by my mother, each hefty square fragrant, warm, and inviting.
This was the same biko that our family often received as gifts from friends during Christmas, the sweet aroma of coconut luring us to finish dinner quickly knowing it was for dessert. I saw it on our family table, savored after a long Lent season. It was served at our town fiesta, or party, in the rural Philippine province where I grew up.
Taking a cue from what my mother taught me, I now cook biko, made in a jiffy just before my sons get home from school. When I’m invited to neighborhood potlucks, I can put together a biko rice cake using the staples I have in my pantry.
No other classic Filipino dessert or snack is so easy to prepare and such a joy to relish.
Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
What Is Biko?
Biko (pronounced “beeh-koh”) is a Filipino rice cake made of glutinous rice, also known as sweet or sticky rice. The rice is mixed with coconut milk and sugar, and then cooked to make a thick, dense cake. A sprinkling of latik, or golden-colored sprinkles made from coconut cream, gives it an added sweetness and a luscious flavor.
The term biko traces its origins to the Chinese influence on Philippine cuisine, originating from the Hokkien words bi (rice) and ko (cake). It is one of the more popular Filipino kakanins or “rice cakes” and perhaps the easiest to cook.
Traditionally, it is cooked in large woks over a low fire. A slow, gentle stirring results in soft rice grains that can be baked into a rich, gooey delicacy.
There are different kinds and colors of Filipino biko, from yellow-colored ones made with kabocha squash and pale green ones made with sweet-smelling pandan to maroon-colored sweet biko made from purple rice.
How To Make Easy Biko
My mother had an abundant supply of fresh coconuts from the trees in our backyard. I have transformed mom’s recipe into an easier one, using pantry ingredients like canned coconut milk and sweet rice purchased from the Asian market.
Simple Tip!
Look for short-grained white rice labeled as sweet rice, sticky rice, and/or glutinous rice. On the package, there will often be suggestions for how to use the rice. If the packaging indicates the rice is good for rice cakes, then it will work well for this recipe.
First, you soak the glutinous rice in water for at least six hours. This allows the uncooked rice grains to swell and puff up, ready for cooking. Then, mix the rice with the coconut milk and sugar. Over medium heat, stir the mixture for a few minutes until the rice softens, then transfer everything to a pan to bake in the oven. Once it is cooked, crisp coconut latik are sprinkled on top.
Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
Sweet Rice Treats
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