Kalamay Ube

''Kalamay'' (also spelled ''Calamay'', literally "sugar"), is a sticky sweet delicacy that is popular in many regions of the Philippines. It is made of coconut milk, brown sugar, and ground glutinous rice. It can also be flavored with margarine, peanut butter, or vanilla. ''Kalamay'' can be eaten alone but is usually used as a sweetener for a number of Filipino desserts and beverages. It is related to the Chamorro dessert called Kalamai.

Preparation

''Kalamay'' is made by extracting coconut milk from grated coconuts twice. Glutinous rice is added to the first batch of coconut milk and the mixture is ground into a paste. Brown sugar is added to the second batch of coconut milk and boiled for several hours to make ''latík''. The mixture of ground glutinous rice and coconut milk is then poured into the ''latík'' and stirred until the consistency becomes very thick. It can be served hot or at room temperature especially when eaten with other dishes. Viscous ''Kalamay'' are often served cooled to make it less runny and easier to eat.

Consumption

''Kalamay'' is a popular ''pasalubong'' (the Filipino tradition of a homecoming gift). They are often eaten alone, directly from the packaging. ''Kalamay'' is also used in a variety of traditional Filipino dishes as a sweetener, including the '' suman'' and the ''bukayo''. It can also be added to beverages like coffee, milk, or hot chocolate.

'' Biko'' and ''sinukmani'' are similar dishes which use whole glutinous rice grains. The preparation is the same except that the glutinous rice is first cooked whole and not ground into a paste, and then is smothered with the ''latík''. In some regions (particularly in the Northern Philippines), this dish is referred to as the ''kalamay'', with the viscous kind differentiated as the ''kalamay-hati''.

The ''latík'' from ''kalamay'' by itself can be used with other desserts, particularly with dishes made from cassava (which is then referred to as 'cassava ''kalamay). Kalamay is also commonly confused with '' matamis sa bao'', a similar viscous dish. However, the latter does not use rice.

Types

There are many variations and types of kalamay. Kalamay can be divided roughly into two types: the syrupy kind used in conjunction with other dishes (higher ''latik'' ratio), and the gummy chewy kind which is more expensive and usually eaten on its own.

*Antipolo ''kalamay'' (also called ''kalamay perya'') – the Tagalog version of ''kalamay''. It is a specialty of Antipolo. It is traditionally served as a flat disk on banana leaves, topped with ''latik'' curds. It has a denser chewier texture.
*Bohol ''kalamay'' – ''kalamay'' from the island of Bohol can vary from extremely sweet to mildly sweet. It is distinctive for being sold inside halved smooth coconut shells (the mesocarp of coconuts, locally known as ''bagol'' or ''paya''). These containers are then sealed shut with a characteristic red crepe paper (''papel de japon''). This type of packaging is known as ''kalamay-hati'' (literally 'Half kalamay'). A type of Bohol Kalamay is called "Calamay sa Jagna" which is a famous delicacy from the town of Jagna. It has a distinct taste. The "Calamay sa Jagna" was taught intentionally by a parish priest of Jagna named Rev.Fr. Mariano Gutierrez of the Order of the Augustinian Recollects particularly in Barangay Can-upao.
*Baguio ''Kalamay'' – a type of ''kalamay'' from Baguio, Philippines. It is also known as ''Sundot Kulangot'' (literally 'Picked Booger') because of its consistency. It is sweetened with molasses which adds to its color. It is uniquely packed into halved ''pitogo'' (Sago Palm of the genus ''Cycas'') shells and sealed with red crepe paper in a similar manner to the Bohol ''kalamay''. It is the smallest known traditional packaging of ''kalamay''. They are sold in bundles, several of these ''kalamay'' balls are nestled inside split bamboo and tied with a string.
*Iloilo ''kalamay'' – ''kalamay'' (also known as ''kalamay-hati'') from the province of Iloilo and the island of Negros. It is thicker in consistency than other types of ''kalamay''. The town of San Enrique celebrates a ''Kalamay'' Festival.
*Candon ''kalamay'' – ''kalamay'' from Candon City, Ilocos Sur. It is sold wrapped in banana leaves or in coconut shells, though modern packaging uses polystyrene containers wrapped in cellophane. Candon City also celebrates a ''Kalamay'' Festival.
*''Nilubyan'' or ''iniruban'' – a kind of ''kalamay'' made from pounded green rice. It originates from Camiling, Tarlac in the Northern Philippines.
*Mindoro ''kalamay'' – a version of ''kalamay'' from the island of Mindoro. It usually contains grated coconut and is flavored with peanut butter or vanilla.
*Indang ''kalamay'' (also called ''calamay buna'') – is a sweet delicacy of sticky rice, brown sugar and coconut milk that is well known in Indang Cavite. This variety of calamay from Indang is made from glutinous pulverized rice called ''malagkit'' mixed with coconut milk and ''panutsa'' (native jaggery).

Similar to other traditional ''kakanin'' rice cakes, kalamay also has variants based on secondary ingredients, they include:
*''Kalamay gabi'' – kalamay made with taro (''gabi''). It is typically milky white in color.
*''Kalamay na pinpipig'' (also known as ''kalamay na duman'' or ''kalamay pandan'') – kalamay flavored with pandan leaf extracts and topped with toasted and pounded immature rice grains (''pinipig'' or ''duman''). It is bright green in color.
*''Kalamay ube'' – kalamay made with ube (purple yam). It is lavender or purple in color. It superficially resembles ube halaya, but has a smoother texture.

Origin

''Kalamay'', in many Visayan languages (particularly Hiligaynon), is synonymous with 'sugar' (extracted from sugarcane). The word is usually elided to ''kamay'' in modern Cebuano dialects. In the Waray language, ''kalamay'' refers to a hardened cake of molasses used as sweeteners for many cooked desserts. Its production has been known since the Spanish colonization of the Philippines.

Similar desserts

A cousin of kalamay is ''dodol'', found in Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, Singapore and in some parts of the Philippines. It uses similar basic ingredients and preparation. ''Dodol'', however, is a solid candy, unlike the liquid ''kalamay''. ''Kalamay'' is visually similar to the Chinese ''nian gao'' (also known as ''tikoy'' in the Philippines), but they are not related.

See also

* Binagol
* Bukayo
* Coconut jam
* Dodol
* Espasol
* Kakanin
* Kalamai
* Latík
* Sapin-sapin
* Suman
* Wajik

References

External links

{{Rice dishes

Philippine rice dishes
Foods containing coconut
Philippine desserts
Glutinous rice dishes