Rice and Corn Week: Filipino Corn Snacks
Rice and Corn Week is observed yearly, from August 29 to September 5, by virtue of Proclamation No. 304, series of 1964 signed by former President Diosdado Macapagal. Last year, the #NationalMuseumPH featured the different agricultural implements used in rice and corn cultivation. This year, we are featuring traditional and contemporary Filipino snacks made of corn!
Corn was originally brought by the Spanish colonizers from Mexico through the Manila-Acapulco galleon trade. Earliest records of corn cultivation date back to the 1700s, when the Spaniards introduced three crops in Cebu: tobacco, cacao, and corn. Although it is not endemic to the Philippines, did you know that corn is the second most important crop in the country?
According to the Department of Agriculture, about 14 million Filipinos prefer white corn as their main staple, instead of rice, while yellow corn is used to feed livestock. Corn is also processed into cornstarch, corn syrups, oil, gluten, and used as main ingredients for various delicacies.
In Luzon, binatog, is made by boiling the white kernel until they are tender, about to burst open, and when the water starts to thicken. They are then topped with freshly grated coconut, sugar, and/or salt. In Cebu and northern Mindanao, binaki is made from ground yellow corn combined with butter, sugar, baking powder, milk, and cheese. It is wrapped using the innermost layer of the corn husk and is boiled for less than an hour. Binaki is derived from the word ‘baki’, meaning frog, because the said food is wrapped in a folded husk resembling a frog’s leg. Among the Maranao, biyaki is prepared similar to the binaki despite using different ingredients. Instead of corn, ground cassava and young corn kernels are used. It is wrapped in either banana leaf or corn husk.
From north to south, husked or unhusked corn are boiled or steamed and peddled. Street vendors also sell grilled corn on cobs during harvest season. For younger Filipinos, they are more fond of sweet corn in a cup topped with powdered cheese, margarine, and salt, or mais con yelo made from sweet corn and shaved ice with evaporated milk and sugar. In Ilocos, chichacorn or crunchy corn with garlic, barbecue, sweet and spicy flavors is a popular pasalubong. But nothing beats the all-time favorite popcorn, especially to those who missed the cinema during the pandemic.
Food is essential in sustaining and nourishing our lives. We must always remember to not waste food and to appreciate our farmers by valuing their efforts in bringing food onto our tables.
#RiceAndCornWeek2022 #CornSnacks #MuseumFromHome
Text and poster from the NMP Ethnology Division
Photo courtesy of Allan S. Alvarez, CC0 images from Wikimedia Commons
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