Moron (food) facts for kids
The chocolate moron bundled and individual
|
|
| Alternative names | Muron, chocolate moron, chocolate suman, chocolate rice cake |
|---|---|
| Type | Rice cake |
| Course | Dessert |
| Place of origin | Philippines |
| Region or state | Eastern Visayas |
| Main ingredients | Glutinous rice, coconut milk, sugar, chocolate |
| Similar dishes | Suman |
Moron (pronounced moh-RON) is a yummy rice cake from the Philippines. It's a lot like another Filipino treat called suman. This special snack comes from the Waray people who live in the Eastern Visayas region. You'll find it especially popular in Tacloban City in Leyte and in Eastern Samar province.
Even though it's famous in those areas, other parts of the Philippines also make their own versions. For example, the town of Mambajao in Camiguin has made moron one of its local products.
Moron is a type of suman, so it's made with glutinous rice (also called sticky rice), coconut milk, and sugar. What makes moron special is that it has chocolate! It's mixed with chocolate tablea (which are like chocolate tablets) or cocoa powder. Regular suman doesn't have chocolate. Moron also has a little bit of vanilla flavor. People often enjoy it with coffee or sikwate, which is a traditional Filipino chocolate drink. Because of its chocolate, it's often called chocolate moron or chocolate suman.
Contents
How to Make Moron
Making moron involves a few steps to get that delicious, sticky texture.
What You Need
The main things you need to make moron are:
- Glutinous rice (called malagkit in Tagalog or pilit in Eastern Visayas)
- Regular rice
- Coconut milk
- Sugar
- Chocolate or cocoa powder
- Melted butter
Getting Started
First, both the sticky rice and regular rice need to be soaked. You soak them together overnight. The next day, you grind the soaked rice. After grinding, the rice is soaked again in coconut milk until it becomes soft. Then, you add sugar and chocolate powder to this mixture.
Cooking the Mixture
The mixture is cooked over a low heat. You need to stir it constantly while it cooks. This helps it get thick and smooth. Once it's thick, you take it off the heat and let it cool down.
Wrapping and Steaming
After the mixture cools, you get ready to wrap it. You'll need banana leafs cut into pieces. For each moron, you use about two tablespoons of the mixture. You spread a little butter on the moron before wrapping it. Once wrapped, both ends of the banana leaf are tied with string. Finally, the wrapped moron pieces are steamed for about 30 minutes. After they cool down, they are ready to eat!
Enjoying Moron
Moron is often sold in bundles. Each bundle usually has four pieces, and each piece is wrapped in a banana leaf.
A Special Gift
Tourists visiting Leyte often buy moron as a pasalubong. A pasalubong is a gift or souvenir you bring home for your family and friends. It's a way to share a piece of your trip with them.
For Special Occasions
In the places where moron comes from, it's a common sight at many events. You'll find it served at:
- Festivals
- Birthday parties
- Funeral wakes
Guests at these gatherings often take some moron home with them. This tasty treat is also a way to show kindness and friendship in Tacloban and nearby towns like Palo, Tanauan, Tolosa, Dulag, Mayorga, and Abuyog.
Government Support
The Philippine government helps promote local products like moron. The Department of Science and Technology works to make food products, including moron, last longer. This helps the people who make them. The Department of Trade and Industry holds trade fairs to show off and promote these products. The Department of Labor and Employment even started a project in Mambajao, Camiguin, to help with moron production.
See also
- In Spanish: Morón (plato) para niños
