“This biko recipe is a popular Filipino dessert made with glutinous rice, coconut cream, and brown sugar. Topped with latik curds, this creamy and delicious rice cake is great for parties and get-together.”

Biko is a delightful dessert or snack that Filipinos all around the world appreciate. It’s sticky, chewy, and sweet. Made with glutinous rice, coconut cream and brown sugar, this dessert or merienda is lovely to be shared with your loved ones.

Biko is commonly served with other sticky rice snacks at birthday parties, fiestas, holiday parties, and family reunions. It is believed that eating sticky rice (also known as glutinous or sweet rice) will keep families together and strengthen their bonds.

I grew up with this dessert and love the sweetness and chewiness of the rice cake. Our family usually prepare this dish during the New Year because of the Filipino beliefs and traditions.

WHAT IS BIKO?

Biko is a form of kakanin, made with glutinous rice (also known as sticky rice), coconut cream, and brown sugar.

The word “kakanin” comes from the Tagalog words “kain” (to eat) and “kanin” (rice), and while there are many different kinds of kakanin, they all include rice and coconut in them.

Biko is traditionally served in a round, shallow bamboo tray lined with banana leaves known as a bilao.

It is usually topped with latik, which can refer to either coconut curds or coconut caramel.

Latik refers to coconut curds created by boiling coconut cream until the oil separates and floats to the top. The mixture is simmered and stirred often to create a golden curds that has a crunchy texture. This is a frequent garnish for kakanin.

The other type of latik is gooey coconut caramel, which is popular in the Visayan region’s center location. It’s prepared by thickening a glaze of coconut milk and black muscovado sugar (derived from unprocessed cane sugar).

This popular homemade treat can be prepared in a variety of ways. Some individuals prefer to cook everything in one pot, while others prefer to use a rice cooker.

Although as I am growing up, I used to see and do the first method but I find it quite tiring. Instead, I prefer to use the second method because it fairly easy to prepare.

BIKO RECIPE INGREDIENTS

This biko recipe is made with few simple ingredients.

• Glutinous rice or “malagkit”. You have to rinse the malagkit properly before cooking to remove any starchy residue of the rice.
• Water for cooking the rice.
• Coconut cream. We will use 2 cans in making this recipe, one is for making the latik and 1 for the cooking the biko. I used canned coconut cream for consistency and convenience. You can substitute coconut milk if you desired.
• Dark brown Sugar is the only sweetener in this recipe.
• Jackfruit or “Langka”. This is an optional ingredient but I highly recommend since it gives a different flavor on the biko. I used store-bought sweetened jackfruit so I reduced the amount of sugar in this recipe. You can also use fresh if available.
• Salt act as flavor enhancer.

HOW TO MAKE THIS BIKO RECIPE

Biko isn’t hard to make, but it does take continual attention, a lot of stirring, and a lot of patience.

This biko recipe is easy and so simple to prepare that you’ll be serving it in no time!

Making the latik toppings

Make the latik ahead of time by preparing the golden coconut curds. The extracted coconut oil will be used to grease the pan and to increase the flavor and aroma of the rice cake.

To make the latik, pour the coconut cream into a non-stick skillet and let it cook until liquid starts to thicken and the curds form and become golden brown. It’s fairly easy but time consuming, around 30-40 minutes to achieve that golden brown color.

Cooking the glutinous rice

This process will be easy if you use a rice cooker as you would only need to wait for it to cook. The ratio of the water is same so that the malagkit will be partially cooked. It will be cooked completely in the sweetened coconut mixture once combined.

In a rice cooker, combine the sticky rice and water and simmer until the rice is done. We don’t want the rice to be totally cooked, so we use equal amount of water in comparison to the rice.

Making the biko

In making the biko, you need to combine all the ingredients in a non-stick wok or pan and mix until fully combined.

Add your cooked rice to the thick coconut cream-sugar mixture once it’s finished cooking! Mix everything together thoroughly, allowing the rice to absorb the thick texture.

The mixture must be swirled and heated until it becomes very thick, sticky, and pulls away from the sides of the pan, around 20-30 minutes. Cook it until all of the liquid has evaporated, but be careful not to overcook it!

Transfer to a greased pan and flatten, serve with latik toppings.

BIKO RECIPE COOKING TIPS

• It’s crucial to wash the rice several times before cooking it to remove any excess surface starch.
• Cook the glutinous rice ahead of time to ensure soft, tender biko and avoid crisp, undercooked bites.
• Use coconut cream for a creamy biko.
• Because different types of malagkit have varied water-to-rice ratios, the amount of water used to steam the rice may need to be adjusted.
• After rinsing the rice, make sure to drain it thoroughly since excess liquid will affect the texture.
• Cook the biko in a nonstick heavy-bottomed wok or skillet. If you have one, I recommend using a silicone or wooden spatula to make the procedure easier to manage and reduce sticking.
• Stirring the latik curds on a regular basis ensures even toasting and golden brown coloration.

HOW TO SERVE

Serve this biko with latik toppings as a midday snack or after meal dessert. It tastes best when served warm, but it’s also delicious at room temperature.

Share it with family and friends over a steaming cup of coffee or hot cocoa or tea.

HOW TO STORE

Biko can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days if properly wrapped in foil or plastic film. Microwave in 1 minute increments to reheat.

It can also be sliced and frozen until solid on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Refrigerate for up to 2 months after transferring to a zip lock bag. Defrost beore reheating in the microwave.

You can use latik curds in many more Filipino sweets such as sapin sapin, ube biko, maja blanca and suman moron. Refrigerate for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 1 month in an airtight container.

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