Pichi-pichi, also spelled pitsi-pitsi, is a Filipino dessert made from steamed

cassava ''Manihot esculenta'', common name, commonly called cassava (), manioc, or yuca (among numerous regional names), is a woody shrub of the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae, native to South America. Although a perennial plant, cassava is extensively ...

flour balls mixed with

sugar Sugar is the generic name for sweet-tasting, soluble carbohydrates, many of which are used in food. Simple sugars, also called monosaccharides, include glucose, fructose, and galactose. Compound sugars, also called disaccharides or double ...

and

lye A lye is a metal hydroxide traditionally obtained by leaching wood ashes, or a strong alkali which is highly soluble in water producing caustic basic solutions. "Lye" most commonly refers to sodium hydroxide (NaOH), but historically has been u ...

. It is also commonly flavored with

pandan leaves ''Pandanus amaryllifolius'' is a tropical plant in the ''Pandanus'' (screwpine) genus, which is commonly known as pandan (; ). It has fragrant leaves which are used widely for flavouring in the cuisines of Southeast Asia and South Asia. Occurre ...

. It is served rolled in freshly grated coconut, cheese, or

latik ''Latík'' () refers to two different coconut-based ingredients in Filipino cuisine. In the Visayan region it refers to a syrupy caramelized coconut cream (coconut caramel) used as a dessert sauce. In the northern Philippines, it refers to s ...

(coconut caramel) before serving. A similar dish to pichi-pichi is the

putli mandi Putli mandi, is a Filipino dessert steamed rice cake originating from the Tausug and Yakan people of Sulu. It is made from glutinous rice dough (though it can also be made with cassava) rolled into balls and filled with sweetened coconut strips ...

of the Tausug and

Yakan people The Yakan people are among the major indigenous Filipino ethnolinguistic groups in the Sulu Archipelago. Having a significant number of followers of Islam, it is considered one of the 13 Moro people, Moro groups in the Philippines. The Yakans m ...

. It is prepared identically, and differs only in that it has a filling of sweetened coconut strips ('' hinti''). It is also similar to

palitaw Palitaw (ᜉᜎᜒᜆᜏ᜔) (from ''litaw'', the Tagalog word for "float" or "rise") is a small, flat, sweet rice cake eaten in the Philippines. They are made from ''galapong'' - washed, soaked, and ground malagkit (sticky rice). After exces ...

, except palitaw is made into thin flat cakes and is made with glutinous rice flour.

Preparation

The cassava is first peeled, grated, and washed. The grated cassava is then mixed with water, sugar, and lye and then the mixture is transferred into pans or molds which are then put in the steamer until the mixture is cooked and soft. The cooked pitsi-pitsi can then be rolled on freshly grated coconut or topped with grated cheese and latik. Some vendors add

food coloring Food coloring, or color additive, is any dye, pigment, or substance that imparts color when it is added to food or drink. They come in many forms consisting of liquids, powders, gels, and pastes. Food coloring is used in both commercial food ...

to the mixture prior to steaming.

References

Philippine desserts Foods containing coconut Palauan desserts {{philippines-cuisine-stub

Preparation

See also

References