Puto (food)

Lore & Background

Puto derives from the puttu rice cakes in the south of the Indian subcontinent, which may have come via South Indian trade with the Malayosphere (as borrowed into Malay: ڤوتو putu before Philippine languages). This is reflected in many kinds of sweet rice cake bearing similar names in the Southeast Asian region, such as the putu piring in Singapore, putu bambu of the Javanese, and putu mayam (a local name for idiyappam).

Puto is made from rice soaked overnight to allow it to ferment slightly; yeast may sometimes be added to aid this process. The rice is then ground (traditionally with stone mills) into a rice dough known as galapong, and the mixture is steamed. The most common shape of the putuhán steamer is round, ranging from 30 to 60 centimetres in diameter and between 2 and 5 centimetres deep. Steamers are rings made of soldered sheet metal built around a perforated pan, or of thin strips of bent bamboo enclosing a flat basket of split bamboo slats. The cover is almost always conical to allow condensing steam to drip along the perimeter. A sheet of muslin (katsâ) is stretched over the steamer ring and the prepared rice batter poured directly on it; an alternative method uses banana leaf as a liner. Puto is sold as large, thick cakes in flat baskets called bilao lined with banana leaf, either as whole loaves or sliced into smaller, lozenge-shaped individual portions.

Properly prepared puto imparts the slightly yeasty aroma of fermented rice galapong, which may be enhanced by the fragrance of banana leaves. It is neither sticky nor dry and crumbly, but soft, moist, and with a fine, uniform grain. The essential flavour is of freshly cooked rice, but it may be sweetened a bit if eaten by itself as a snack. Most puto cooked in the Tagalog-speaking regions may contain a small quantity of wood ash lye. Puto eaten on its own commonly add toppings like cheese, butter/margarine, hard-boiled eggs, meat, or freshly grated coconut. In Bulacan, puto with cheese toppings are humorously called putong bakla ('homosexual puto'), while puto with egg toppings are called putong lalaki ('man's puto') and those filled with meat are called putong babae ('woman's puto').

Reader's Guide

Puto is notable as a versatile staple within Filipino cuisine, serving both as a snack and as an accompaniment to savoury dishes, particularly dinuguan. Its significance extends beyond a single recipe: the term 'puto' is an umbrella for various indigenous steamed cakes, including those made without rice, with the key characteristics being that they are cooked by steaming and made with some type of flour (contrasting with bibingka, which are baked cakes). The traditional puto made with galapong is sometimes referred to as putong puti ('white puto') or putong bigas ('rice puto') to distinguish it from other dishes also called puto. It is also similar to potu in Guam.

Modern variants of puto may use non-traditional ingredients like ube (purple yam), vanilla, or chocolate. Notable rice-based variants include puto bumbong (traditionally made from a special purple glutinous rice called pirurutong, commonly eaten during Christmas), puto Calasiao (known for its melt-in-the-mouth feeling), and puto kutsinta (made using lye, characteristically moist and chewy). Non-rice variants include puto flan (a combination of steamed muffin and leche flan), putong kamotengkahoy (made from cassava), and puto seco (a baked dry cookie made from corn flour). The legacy of puto is its adaptability and deep cultural roots, reflecting historical trade connections with South India and the Malayosphere, while maintaining a central place in Filipino food traditions.

Did You Know?

• Puto derives from the puttu rice cakes of the south Indian subcontinent, possibly via South Indian trade with the Malayosphere.
• Puto seco is a baked dry cookie made from corn flour, despite being called puto.
• Puto bumbong is traditionally made from a special purple glutinous rice called pirurutong and is commonly eaten during Christmas in the Philippines.