Binignit is a Visayan dessert soup from the central

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

. The dish is traditionally made with

glutinous rice Glutinous rice ('' Oryza sativa var. glutinosa''; also called sticky rice, sweet rice or waxy rice) is a type of rice grown mainly in Southeast and East Asia, and the northeastern regions of South Asia, which has opaque grains, very low amyl ...

cooked in

coconut milk 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 ...

with various slices of sabá bananas,

taro Taro () (''Colocasia esculenta)'' is a root vegetable. It is the most widely cultivated species of several plants in the family Araceae that are used as vegetables for their corms, leaves, and petioles. Taro corms are a food staple in Afri ...

ube UBE or Ube may refer to: * Ubiquitin-activating enzyme * Ube, Yamaguchi, a city in Japan * Uniform Bar Examination * Unilateral Biportal Endoscopy * Ube Industries, chemical company * Union bound estimate, a probability theory bound * Union of Bo ...

, and

sweet potato The sweet potato or sweetpotato ('' Ipomoea batatas'') is a dicotyledonous plant that belongs to the bindweed or morning glory family, Convolvulaceae. Its large, starchy, sweet-tasting tuberous roots are used as a root vegetable. The young ...

, among other ingredients. It is comparable to various dessert ''

guinataán ''Ginataan'' (pronounced: ), alternatively spelled ''guinataan'', is a Filipino term which refers to food cooked with ''gatâ'' (coconut milk). Literally translated, ''ginataan'' means "done with coconut milk". Due to the general nature of the ...

'' (coconut milk-based) dishes found in other regions such as '' bilo-bilo''. Among the Visayan people, the dish is traditionally served during

Good Friday Good Friday is a Christian holiday commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus and his death at Calvary. It is observed during Holy Week as part of the Paschal Triduum. It is also known as Holy Friday, Great Friday, Great and Holy Friday (also Holy ...

Holy Week Holy Week ( la, Hebdomada Sancta or , ; grc, Ἁγία καὶ Μεγάλη Ἑβδομάς, translit=Hagia kai Megale Hebdomas, lit=Holy and Great Week) is the most sacred week in the liturgical year in Christianity. In Eastern Churches, w ...

Names

''Binignit'' is also called ''giná-tan'' in Bikolano, ''tabirák'' in Mindanao Cebuano, ''alpahor'' in

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 ...

, ''wit-wit'' in Hiligaynon, ''ginettaán'' in Ilokano, ''ginat-an'' (or ''ginat-ang lugaw'') in Waray and Hiligaynon/Ilonggo, ''kamlo'' in western

Iloilo Iloilo (), officially the Province of Iloilo ( hil, Kapuoran sang Iloilo; krj, Kapuoran kang Iloilo; tl, Lalawigan ng Iloilo), is a province in the Philippines located in the Western Visayas region. Its capital is the City of Iloilo, the ...

, ''scramble'' in

Tuguegarao City Tuguegarao ( or ), officially the City of Tuguegarao ( ibg, Siyudad nat Tugegaraw; itv, Siyudad yo Tugegaraw; ilo, Siudad ti Tuguegarao; fil, Lungsod ng Tuguegarao ), is a 3rd class component city and capital of the province of Cagayan, Phi ...

, ''linugaw'' in

Bacolod Bacolod, officially the City of Bacolod (; hil, Dakbanwa/Syudad sang Bacolod; fil, Lungsod ng Bacolod), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the region of Western Visayas, Philippines. It is the capital of the province of Negros Occi ...

, and ''eangkuga'' by Akeanons in Aklan. ''Binignit'' is considered a type of ''

lugaw ''Lugaw'', also spelled ''lugao'', is a Filipino glutinous rice dish or porridge. Lugaw may refer to various dishes, both savory and sweet. In Visayan regions, savory ''lugaw'' are collectively referred to as ''pospas''. ''Lugaw'' is widely ...

'' (rice gruel) and ''

'' (dishes cooked in coconut milk).

Preparation

The meat of a mature coconut is grated and the "thick" milk (

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 ...

) is extracted. Two cups of water are then added to the grated coconut, and a second extraction is made. This becomes the "thin" milk. This "thin" coconut milk extract is added to cubed ''kamote'' (

), ''gabi'' (

) and ''ube'' ( purple yam), sliced ripe ''sabá'' bananas, ''langka'' ( jack fruit), and

tapioca Tapioca (; ) is a starch extracted from the storage roots of the cassava plant (''Manihot esculenta,'' also known as manioc), a species native to the North and Northeast regions of Brazil, but whose use is now spread throughout South America ...

pearls. Sometimes, young coconut meat strips are also added. This is simmered on low to medium heat, to prevent the coconut milk from curdling.

Glutinous rice Glutinous rice ('' Oryza sativa var. glutinosa''; also called sticky rice, sweet rice or waxy rice) is a type of rice grown mainly in Southeast and East Asia, and the northeastern regions of South Asia, which has opaque grains, very low amyl ...

(''pilit'') is added once the root crops have sufficiently softened and the mixture is brought to a boil; being stirred occasionally until done. Just before removal from the flame, the "thick" coconut milk is added. The people of the neighboring island of

Leyte Leyte ( ) is an island in the Visayas group of islands in the Philippines. It is eighth-largest and sixth-most populous island in the Philippines, with a total population of 2,626,970 as of 2020 census. Since the accessibility of land has be ...

use ingredients such as '' landang'' (palm flour jelly balls),

jackfruit The jackfruit (''Artocarpus heterophyllus''), also known as jack tree, is a species of tree in the fig, mulberry, and breadfruit family ( Moraceae). Its origin is in the region between the Western Ghats of southern India, all of Bangladesh, ...

, and

anise Anise (; '), also called aniseed or rarely anix is a flowering plant in the family Apiaceae native to Eurasia. The flavor and aroma of its seeds have similarities with some other spices and herbs, such as star anise, fennel, licorice, and t ...

, and thicken it with milled

. The vegetables and the pearl sago are cooked in a mixture of water,

and ''landang'', and sweetened by ''

muscovado Muscovado is a type of partially refined to unrefined sugar with a strong molasses content and flavour, and dark brown in colour. It is technically considered either a non-centrifugal cane sugar or a centrifuged, partially refined sugar accordi ...

'' or

brown sugar Brown sugar is unrefined or partially refined soft sugar. Brown Sugar may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Brown Sugar'' (1922 film), a 1922 British silent film directed by Fred Paul * ''Brown Sugar'' (1931 film), a 1931 ...

. For the people of Panay, their version contains balls made of glutinous flour, as well as jackfruit. The balls are formed and boiled until they float, indicating that they are cooked. These are then added to the linugaw or eangkuga. This is similar to the preparation of '' bilo-bilo'' but the locals call it by eangkuga or linugaw.

Cultural significance

A popular afternoon snack, it is best served when hot. Others serve it chilled or even frozen, eating the dessert much like

ice cream Ice cream is a sweetened frozen food typically eaten as a snack or dessert. It may be made from milk or cream and is flavoured with a sweetener, either sugar or an alternative, and a spice, such as cocoa or vanilla, or with fruit such as ...

. Among the Visayan people, the soup is also widely cooked and eaten for the

, especially during

when observant Catholics fast and avoid meat.

References

{{Rice dishes Rice dishes Philippine soups Philippine rice dishes Philippine desserts Foods containing coconut Vegetarian dishes of the Philippines bcl:Ginatan

Names

Preparation

Cultural significance

See also

References