Balikucha
| Balicucha a candy made from sugarcane, serves as a natural sweetener for coffee and tea. | |
| Alternative names | Balicucha, Balikutsa |
|---|---|
| Type | Sweets |
| Place of origin | Philippines |
| Region or state | Ilocos |
| Main ingredients | Sugarcane juice |
| Variations | Butong-butong, Tira-tira |
Balikucha, also spelled balicucha or balikutsa, is a type of traditional pulled sugar candy from the Philippines. It is made by boiling pure sugarcane juice or crystalline sugar (usually muscovado or palm sugar) until it caramelizes and becomes a syrup. It is then pulled and folded repeatedly against a nail until it turns a creamy white color. The resulting ropes of candy are then cut into sections and curled at the ends, resulting in a distinctive shape similar to palmier pastries. They are allowed to dry under the sun before being sold.[1]
They can be eaten as is and are popular candies for children. They have a hard porous texture that melts in the mouth. They are also commonly used to sweeten hot drinks like coffee, tsokolate , and tea, as they melt quickly. They can also be melted again into a syrup used to sweeten desserts like cariocas (fried glutinous rice balls).[1] [2] [3]
Balikucha is similar to the tira-tira candy of the Tagalog regions (which are also sometimes called balikucha) and butong-butong of the Western Visayas, except that tira-tira are shaped into small sticks and butong-butong is shaped into a coil.[4] [5] [6] [7] Balikutsa is also the name for coconut toffee, a traditional chewy candy from the Visayas and Mindanao islands made from hardened coconut milk and sugar syrup.[8] [9]
Balikucha is celebrated in the annual Balicucha Festival of the town of Santa Maria, Ilocos Sur during the months of March and April.[10]
See also
[edit ]References
[edit ]- ^ a b Cruz, Jashley Ann (19 May 2022). "iJuander: What is Balicucha?". GMA GTV. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
- ^ Medenilla, Vina (16 July 2022). "Going beyond refined sugar: Traditional sweeteners in the Philippines". Manila Bulletin. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
- ^ Miniano, Marcy (17 August 2021). "18 Locally Grown Ingredients From the Philippines That You Need to Try". TripZilla. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
- ^ Polistico, Edgie (2017). Philippine Food, Cooking, & Dining Dictionary. Anvil Publishing, Incorporated. ISBN 9786214200870.
- ^ "The Peculiar Life of a Buri Palm and an illustrated Philippines sugar map". Meryenda. 10 October 2022. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
- ^ Besa, Amy (2014). Memories of Philippine Kitchens. ABRAMS, Incorporated. ISBN 9781613128084.
- ^ "In Vigan, coffee is sweetened with balicucha". Devour.Asia. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
- ^ "balikutsa". Cebuano Dictionary. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
- ^ "Balikutsa". OneCebu.com. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
- ^ Lazaro, April (29 March 2024). "Balicucha Festival in Ilocos Sur unwraps on Easter Sunday". Manila Bulletin. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
This confectionery-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.
_-_grilled_saba_bananas_-_01.jpg){kind=link}
This Filipino cuisine–related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.