Kalamay from the province ofBohol packaged inside empty coconut shells. It is the famous delicacy from Bohol Province particularly in the town ofJagna.
Kalamay is made by extractingcoconut milk from grated coconuts twice. Glutinous rice is added to the first batch of coconut milk and the mixture is ground into a paste.Brown sugar is added to the second batch of coconut milk and boiled for several hours to makelatík. The mixture of ground glutinous rice and coconut milk is then poured into thelatík and stirred until the consistency becomes very thick. It can be served hot or at room temperature especially when eaten with other dishes. Viscouskalamay are often served cooled to make it less runny and easier to eat.
Kalamay is a popularpasalubong (theFilipino tradition of a homecoming gift). They are often eaten alone, directly from the packaging.[1]Kalamay is also used in a variety of traditional Filipino dishes as a sweetener,[2] including thesuman and thebukayo. It can also be added to beverages like coffee, milk, or hot chocolate.
Biko andsinukmani are similar dishes that use wholeglutinous rice grains. The preparation is the same except that the glutinous rice is first cooked whole and not ground into a paste, and then is smothered with thelatík. In some regions (particularly in theNorthern Philippines), this dish is referred to as thekalamay, with the viscous kind differentiated as thekalamay-hati.
Thelatík fromkalamay by itself can be used with other desserts, particularly with dishes made fromcassava (which is then referred to as 'cassavakalamay'). Kalamay is also commonly confused withmatamis sa bao, a similar viscous dish. However, the latter does not use rice.
Kalamay slices on banana leaves fromBustos, BulacanKalamay ube is naturally purple due to the use ofpurple yam.
There are many variations and types of kalamay. Kalamay can be divided roughly into two types: the syrupy kind used in conjunction with other dishes (higherlatik ratio), and the gummy, chewy kind which is more expensive and usually eaten on its own.[1]
Antipolokalamay (also calledkalamay perya) – theTagalog version ofkalamay. It is a specialty ofAntipolo. It is traditionally served as a flat disk on banana leaves, topped withlatik curds. It has a denser, chewier texture.[3]
Boholkalamay –kalamay from the island ofBohol can vary from extremely sweet to mildly sweet. It is distinctive for being sold inside halved smooth coconut shells (themesocarp of coconuts, locally known asbagol orpaya). These containers are then sealed shut with a characteristic red crepe paper (papel de japon).[1] This type of packaging is known askalamay-hati (literally 'Half kalamay').[4] A type of Bohol kalamay is called "calamay sa Jagna" which is a famous delicacy from the town of Jagna. It has a distinct taste. The "calamay sa Jagna" was taught intentionally by a parish priest of Jagna named Rev.Fr. Mariano Gutierrez of the Order of the Augustinian Recollects particularly in Barangay Can-upao.[5][6]
BaguioKalamay – a type ofkalamay fromBaguio, Philippines. It is also known asSundot Kulangot (literally 'Picked Booger') because of its consistency. It is sweetened withmolasses which adds to its color. It is uniquely packed into halvedpitogo (Sago Palm of the genusCycas) shells and sealed with red crepe paper in a similar manner to the Boholkalamay. It is the smallest known traditional packaging ofkalamay. They are sold in bundles with several of thekalamay balls nestled inside split bamboo and tied with a string.[4]
Iloilokalamay –kalamay (also known askalamay-hati) from the province ofIloilo and the island ofNegros. It is thicker in consistency than other types ofkalamay. The town ofSan Enrique celebrates aKalamay Festival.[7]
Candonkalamay –kalamay fromCandon, Ilocos Sur.[4] It is sold wrapped in banana leaves or in coconut shells, though modern packaging usespolystyrene containers wrapped incellophane. Candon also celebrates aKalamay Festival.
Nilubyan oriniruban – a kind ofkalamay made from pounded green rice. It originates fromCamiling, Tarlac in the Northern Philippines.[4]
Mindorokalamay – a version ofkalamay from the island ofMindoro. It usually contains grated coconut and is flavored with peanut butter or vanilla.[4]
Indangkalamay (also calledcalamay buna) – is a sweet delicacy of sticky rice, brown sugar and coconut milk that is well known inIndang Cavite. This variety of calamay fromIndang is made from glutinous pulverized rice calledmalagkit mixed with coconut milk andpanutsa (nativejaggery).[8]
Similar to other traditionalkakanin rice cakes, kalamay also has variants based on secondary ingredients. They include:[9]
Kalamay gabi – kalamay made withtaro (gabi). It is typically milky white in color.[10]
Kalamay na pinpipig (also known askalamay na duman orkalamay pandan) – kalamay flavored withpandan leaf extracts and topped with toasted and pounded immature rice grains (pinipig orduman). It is bright green in color.[11][12]
Kalamay ube – kalamay made with ube (purple yam). It is lavender or purple in color. It superficially resemblesube halaya, but has a smoother texture.[13][14]
Kalamay, in manyVisayan languages (particularlyHiligaynon), is synonymous with 'sugar' (extracted fromsugarcane).[15] The word is usuallyelided tokamay in modernCebuano dialects. In theWaray language,kalamay refers to a hardened cake ofmolasses used as sweeteners for many cooked desserts. Its production has been known since theSpanish colonization of the Philippines.
A cousin of kalamay isdodol, found in Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, Singapore and in some parts of the Philippines. It uses similar basic ingredients and preparation.Dodol, however, is a solid candy, unlike the liquidkalamay.Kalamay is visually similar to the Chinesenian gao (also known astikoy in the Philippines), but they are not related.
Media related toKalamay at Wikimedia Commons
