Puto Bumbong: Whole Year Round

This is one Filipino delicacy especially common in Manila during the Christmas season. This is what you call 'Puto Bumbong'. It's easily acquired during the 'ber' months-- September, October, November and December). It is made of glutinous rice cooked using steam and brushed with healthy margarine. 

[I remember a high school teacher named Sir Tibajares, from whom I learned a lot of things, that margarine is a lot healthier than butter because it is made from vegetables. Butter on the other hand is made from animal fat.]

Anyway, it is then topped with shredded young coconut, brown sugar and sesame seeds. If you ask why it has that violet color, it's because the glutinous rice is mixed with ube or purple yam flavor and coloring before it is even placed inside a cylindrical bamboo container and cooked in steam.

It tastes good and I must tell you that here in Iloilo, you don't need to wait for the 'ber' months to come because there's a vendor at the back of Jaro Cathedral selling this food every Thursday morning in front of Afrique's Restaurant.