Suman "Nigiri"
A myriad within a myriad of kakanin, suman is a simple soul-cooling dessert family comprised of two deep-rooted, everyday, everywhere, in-our-DNA staples of the Philippine islands: coconut ("milk") and rice. Through a union of steam, these two indiscriminately wage a campaign of sugary delight and sticky fingers while sparing few in its path. Traditionally, contents are rolled into large regional leaves that impart flavor and fragrance during steaming. Variations include the addition of mango slabs (another unquestioned staple of the land) and local syrups. While the almighty mango rules the fruitscape of the Philippines, I don't see a reason to stop there when in the islands, or in California where I am, fruit is amazing. In the spirit of variation, it would benefit to change the tamale format to a bite-sized pieces which leads me to this: nigiri. With fruit as is with fish, the fresh stuff needn't much dressing. And as with sushi nigiri, a simple vessel of rice, presents a naked ingredient to all senses with utmost clarity. Stay tuned for more versions with ingredients from the upcoming Fall season.
This session included: