Tupig Recipe

Tupig may not be familiar to you, but this is the reason why we are giving you this recipe. Or, you may have tasted it once and you want to try it now but you do not know how to make it. Cooking Pinoy is here to save you from that trouble. This is our tupig recipe.

This Filipino rice cake is also known with its alternative names intemtem or kangkanen. The name tupig means flattened, which describes its shape after cooking. It originates from the northwestern part of Luzon. If you have been to Ilocos, you probably saw a lot of tupig stalls for pasalubong. There is a lot of this delicacy being sold at stop-over places also. You can also find it in Pangasinan and Tarlac. 

Have you also wondered what makes this rice cake special? It is actually made from ground slightly fermented soaked malagkit or glutinous rice. This is then mixed with coconut milk, sugar, and young coconut strips. The mixture is then wrapped into a cylindrical form in banana leaves and cooked (baked) over charcoal. The wrapped mixture is frequently turned to ensure uniform cooking. Although it is also similarly cooked over charcoal like bibingka, this one is different when it comes to taste and texture. However, the smoky smell is the same and gives it extra flavor.  In this recipe, the use of banana leaves passed through flames to wilt is encouraged. This is because this “wilted” leaves are easy to use during wrapping. The young coconut strips add additional texture to this delicacy.

What is the best way to enjoy it? With salabat. Yes, eat it with a warm ginger tea. Are you excited to try this? Give us a feedback if you are done. Enjoy!