Cascaron facts for kids
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Top: Skewered cascaron;
Bottom: Ibanag pinakufu |
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| Alternative names | carioca, karioka, tinudok, bitsu-bitsu, bicho-bicho, pinakufu, paborot, binuelos, binowilos, bunuelos |
|---|---|
| Course | Dessert |
| Place of origin | Philippines |
| Main ingredients | ground glutinous rice, grated coconut, and sugar |
Cascaron is a super tasty Filipino snack. It's a type of doughnut that's deep-fried. Imagine a sweet treat made from special ground rice, fresh grated coconut, and sugar. It's a popular dessert or snack in the Philippines.
You'll often find cascaron shaped like small balls. These are usually put on skewers, making them easy to hold and eat. But cascaron can also come in other fun shapes. Sometimes they are long, like a small log. Other times, they might be flat like a pancake or shaped like a traditional doughnut.
What is Cascaron Made Of?
Cascaron is made from simple, natural ingredients. The main ingredient is galapong, which is a special kind of ground glutinous rice. This rice flour is mixed with grated coconut and sugar. Once everything is mixed, the dough is shaped. Then, it's carefully deep-fried until it turns golden brown and gets a slightly crunchy outside.
Many Names for This Delicious Snack
This yummy treat has many different names across the Philippines! It depends on where you are. Some common names include carioca and tinudok.
You might also hear it called bitsu-bitsu or bicho-bicho. But be careful! There's another snack called bicho or bicho-bicho that's different. That one is a Chinese Filipino version of youtiao, which is a savory fried dough stick made with regular flour. Our cascaron is sweet and made with rice!
Among the Ibanag, a group of people in the Philippines, a special type of cascaron is made. It's shaped like flattened ovals and is known as pinakufu or paborot.
Sometimes, cascaron is also called bunuelo (or bunwelo, binuelo, binowilo, and more). This name comes from buñuelo, which is a similar fried pastry. However, buñuelo is usually made with regular flour, while cascaron uses glutinous rice.
Where Does the Name Cascaron Come From?
The name cascaron comes from the Spanish word cascarón. This word means "eggshell." It got this name because cascaron snacks are often round like an egg. They also have a slightly crunchy outside, just like an eggshell.
It's important not to confuse this delicious snack with another cascarón. The other cascarón is a hollowed-out chicken egg. People fill it with small prizes or confetti. It's used for celebrations, especially during Carnival or Easter. Both names come from the same Spanish word, but they are very different things!
