 Balicucha a candy made from sugarcane, serves as a natural sweetener for coffee and tea. | |
| Alternative names | Balicucha, Balikutsa |
|---|---|
| Type | Sweets |
| Place of origin | Philippines |
| Region or state | Ilocos (Santa Maria) |
| Main ingredients | Sugarcane juice |
| Variations | Butong-butong, Tira-tira |
Balikucha, also spelledbalicucha orbalikutsa, is a type of traditional pulledsugar candy from the Municipality ofSanta Maria, Ilocos Sur,Philippines. It is made by boiling puresugarcane juice or crystalline sugar (usuallymuscovado orpalm sugar) until itcaramelizes and becomes asyrup. It is then pulled and folded repeatedly against a nail until it turns a creamy white color. The resulting ropes of candy are then cut into sections and curled at the ends, resulting in a distinctive shape similar topalmier pastries. They are allowed to dry under the sun before being sold.[1]
They can be eaten as is and are popular candies for children. They have a hard porous texture that melts in the mouth. They are also commonly used to sweeten hot drinks likecoffee,tsokolate, andtea, as they melt quickly. They can also be melted again into a syrup used to sweeten desserts likecariocas (friedglutinous rice balls).[1][2][3]
Balikucha is similar to thetira-tira candy of theTagalog regions (which are also sometimes calledbalikucha) andbutong-butong of theWestern Visayas, except thattira-tira are shaped into small sticks andbutong-butong is shaped into a coil.[4][5][6][7]Balikutsa is also the name forcoconut toffee, a traditional chewy candy from theVisayas andMindanao islands made from hardenedcoconut milk andsugar syrup.[8][9]
Balikucha is celebrated in the annual Balicucha Festival of the town ofSanta Maria, Ilocos Sur during the months of March and April.[10]
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