Maja blanca facts for kids
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| Alternative names | Coconut pudding, Coconut cake, dudul |
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| Course | Dessert |
| Place of origin | Florida Blanca |
| Serving temperature | Room temperature, cold |
| Main ingredients | Coconut milk, cornstarch |
| Variations | Maja blanca con maiz. Maja de ube |
| Similar dishes | Tibok-tibok |
Maja blanca is a yummy Filipino dessert. It looks a bit like jelly or pudding. The main ingredient is coconut milk. People often call it coconut pudding. You'll usually find maja blanca served at special events like fiestas (festivals) and during holidays, especially Christmas.
Contents
What is Maja Blanca?
Maja blanca is a creamy white dessert. It has a soft, thick texture, much like gelatine. It also has a gentle, sweet flavor that comes from the coconut.
The Story Behind the Name
This dessert is the Filipino version of an old Spanish dish. That dish was called manjar blanco, which means "white delicacy." But maja blanca is special because it uses very different ingredients. Instead of regular milk or almond milk, it uses coconut milk.
Maja blanca became very popular in many parts of Luzon. This includes areas where Tagalog, Kapampangan, Pangasinense, and Ilocano people live. It was also a favorite in the southern Philippines, especially among Chavacano-speaking Zamboangueños.
Sometimes, maja blanca has other names. In the Ilocano language, it's called dudul. If corn kernels are added, it might be called maja blanca con maíz, maja maíz, or maja blanca maíz. Maíz is the Spanish word for corn.
How to Make Maja Blanca
Making maja blanca is quite simple! First, you mix coconut milk and cornstarch. This mixture is then heated slowly while you stir it. You can also use Agar (called gulaman in Filipino) instead of cornstarch.
Often, people add corn kernels, milk, and sugar to the mix. These are not part of the oldest recipes, but they taste great! Once the mixture gets thick, it's poured into dishes. These dishes are usually greased with coconut oil first. Then, you let it cool down until it becomes firm.
For a delicious topping, people sprinkle latik on top. Latik are small, browned bits made from cooked coconut cream. Many people also like to put maja blanca in the fridge. Serving it cold makes the texture even better!
Maja blanca feels similar to a dessert called panna cotta. However, the taste is different because maja blanca uses coconut milk. The corn kernels and latik add fun textures to the dessert. This is because maja blanca itself is usually very smooth and creamy.
Different Kinds of Maja Blanca
You can easily change maja blanca by adding different ingredients. This often changes the color of the dessert too! For example, there's squash maja blanca. This version uses calabazas (which are called kalabasa in Filipino). There's also a maja maiz that uses butter, giving it a bright yellow color.
Two other popular types are:
- Maja de ube (or maja ube): This one is a deep purple color. It's made with ube, which is a purple yam.
- Maja buko pandan: This version is light green. It gets its flavor from pandan leaves and fresh coconut meat.
Maja blanca is made in a similar way to another Filipino dessert called tibok-tibok. The main difference is that tibok-tibok does not usually have corn kernels.
