''Maja blanca'' () is a Filipino dessert 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 the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year ...

Description

''Maja blanca'' has the consistency of thick gelatine and a delicate flavor, and is creamy white in color.

Etymology and history

The dessert is the local Filipino adaptation of the Spanish 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 vari ...

'' (

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 w ...

, 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 digest solid food. Immune factors and immune-modulat ...

or almond milk. 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 Tagalog may refer to: Language * Tagalog language, a language spoken in the Philippines ** Old Tagalog, an archaic form of the language ** Batangas Tagalog, a dialect of the language * Tagalog script, the writing system historically used for Taga ...

, Kapampangan, 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) 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 Filipino) 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'' (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'', 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, ...

s ( Filipino: ''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); 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 ''Tibok-tibok'' (Pampangan: ''tibuktíbuk'') or carabao-milk pudding is a Pampangan dessert pudding made primarily from carabao milk and ground soaked glutinous rice (''galapong''). Originating in the Philippine province of Pampanga, it is espe ...

without the corn kernels.

References

{{Portal, Food Foods containing coconut Philippine desserts Puddings

Description

Etymology and history

Preparation

Variations

See also

References