''Maja blanca'' () is a

Filipino Filipino may refer to: * Something from or related to the Philippines ** Filipino language, standardized variety of 'Tagalog', the national language and one of the official languages of the Philippines. ** Filipinos, people who are citizens of th ...

dessert Dessert is a course (food), course that concludes a meal. The course consists of sweet foods, such as confections, and possibly a beverage such as dessert wine and liqueur. In some parts of the world, such as much of Greece and West Africa, and ...

with a gelatin-like consistency made primarily from coconut milk. Also known as coconut pudding, it is usually served during '' fiestas'' and during the holidays, especially

Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating Nativity of Jesus, the birth of Jesus, Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people Observance of Christmas by country, around t ...

Description

''Maja blanca'' has the consistency of thick

gelatine Gelatin or gelatine (from la, gelatus meaning "stiff" or "frozen") is a translucent, colorless, flavorless food ingredient, commonly derived from collagen taken from animal body parts. It is brittle when dry and rubbery when moist. It may also ...

and a delicate flavor, and is creamy white in color.

Etymology and history

The dessert is the local Filipino adaptation of the

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...

dish ''

manjar blanco Manjar blanco (), also known as manjar de leche or simply manjar, is a term used in Spanish-speaking area of the world in reference to a variety of milk-based delicacies. In Spain the term refers to blancmange, a European delicacy found in vario ...

'' (

blancmange Blancmange (, from french: blanc-manger ) is a sweet dessert popular throughout Europe commonly made with milk or cream and sugar thickened with rice flour, gelatin, corn starch, or Irish moss (a source of carrageenan), and often flavoured ...

, literally "white delicacy"), but it has become distinct in that it uses very different ingredients, like coconut milk instead of

milk Milk is a white liquid food produced by the mammary glands of mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals (including breastfed human infants) before they are able to digestion, digest solid food. Immune factors and immune ...

almond milk Almond milk is a plant-based milk with a watery texture and nutty flavor manufactured from almonds, although some types or brands are flavored in imitation of cow's milk. It does not contain cholesterol or lactose and is low in saturated fat. ...

. The dish was most popular in

Luzon Luzon (; ) is the largest and most populous island in the Philippines. Located in the northern portion of the Philippines archipelago, it is the economic and political center of the nation, being home to the country's capital city, Manila, as ...

, especially in Tagalog,

Kapampangan Kapampangan, Capampañgan or Pampangan may refer to: *Kapampangan people of the Philippines *Kapampangan language Kapampangan or Pampangan is an Austronesian language, and one of the eight major languages of the Philippines. It is the primary ...

, Pangasinense, and Ilocano cuisine. But it was also popular in the south, especially among

Chavacano Chavacano or Chabacano is a group of Spanish-based creole language varieties spoken in the Philippines. The variety spoken in Zamboanga City, located in the southern Philippine island group of Mindanao, has the highest concentration of speaker ...

-speaking Zamboangueños. ''Maja blanca'' is also known as ''dudul'' in Ilocano; as well as ''maja blanca con maíz'', ''maja maíz'', or ''maja blanca maíz'' when

corn kernel Corn kernels are the fruits of corn (called maize in many countries). Maize is a grain, and the kernels are used in cooking as a vegetable or a source of starch. The kernel comprise endosperm, germ, pericarp, and tip cap. One ear of corn contai ...

s are used in the preparation (''maíz'' is Spanish for corn).

Preparation

''Maja blanca'' is relatively easy to prepare. A coconut milk (not

coconut cream Coconut milk is an opaque, milky-white liquid extracted from the grated pulp of mature coconuts. The opacity and rich taste of coconut milk are due to its high oil content, most of which is saturated fat. Coconut milk is a traditional food in ...

) and cornstarch mixture is heated to boiling over a low flame while stirring. Agar (''

gulaman ''Gulaman'', in Filipino cuisine, is a bar, or powdered form, of dried agar or carrageenan used to make jelly-like desserts. In common usage, it also usually refers to the refreshment ''sago't gulaman'', sometimes referred to as ''samalamig' ...

'' in

) can be substituted for cornstarch. Corn kernels, milk, and sugar are also often added, though these are not traditionally part of the recipe. Once the mixture thickens, it is then poured into serving dishes previously greased with coconut oil, and allowed to cool. Once firm, ''

latik ''Latík'' () refers to two different coconut-based ingredients in Filipino cuisine Filipino cuisine ( fil, lutong Pilipino/pagkaing Pilipino) is composed of the cuisines of more than a hundred distinct ethnolinguistic groups found thr ...

'' (browned coconut cream curds) are then sprinkled as toppings. It is also often refrigerated and served cold to improve the texture. ''Maja blanca'' is similar in texture to ''

panna cotta Panna cotta (Italian for "cooked cream") is an Italian dessert of sweetened cream thickened with gelatin and molded. The cream may be aromatized with coffee, vanilla, or other flavorings. History The name ''panna cotta'' is not mentioned in Ita ...

'', but the flavor is different due to the coconut milk. The corn kernels and ''latik'' are used to add different textures to the ''maja blanca'', which by itself usually has a creamy texture.

Variations

''Maja blanca'' can easily be adapted to include various other ingredients, often resulting in changes in the color of the dish. Examples include squash ''maja blanca'' which uses

calabaza Calabaza is the generic name in the Spanish language for any type of winter squash. Within an English-language context it specifically refers to what is also known as the West Indian pumpkin, a winter squash typically grown in the West Indies, t ...

s (

: ''kalabasa'') and a version of ''maja maiz'' that uses butter, resulting in a distinctive yellow color. Other common variants include ''maja de ube'' (or ''maja ube''), a deep purple variant of ''maja blanca'' which uses ''ube'' (

purple yam ''Dioscorea alata'', also known as purple yam, ube (, ), or greater yam, among many other names, is a species of yam (a tuber). The tubers are usually a vivid violet-purple to bright lavender in color (hence the common name), but some range in ...

); and ''maja buko pandan'', a light green variant which is flavored with pandan leaves and coconut meat. ''Maja blanca'' is prepared similarly with tibok-tibok without the corn kernels.

References

{{Portal, Food Foods containing coconut Philippine desserts Puddings

Description

Etymology and history

Preparation

Variations

See also

References