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For Filipinos, festive food must be shared. The tradition of suman binds them together. More
important than what is eaten is the joy of eating together, and for suman, what is also
meaningful is wrapping and making suman together. For it warms the heart to know that it was
done with much love and care. The preparation involves a tedious process, and the cooking
takes much time.
Filipinos are known for their delicacies – what is your favorite of all?
As early as 6 o’clock in the morning, a woman sells a basket full of kakanin – these are native
delicacies that are an integral part of the Filipino food culture around the Barangay San Isidro of
Bombon. One of her specialties is Ibos and it only costs five pesos each and it is best paired
with granulated sugar or latik (a coconut caramel sauce).
Ibos simply requires glutinous rice and coconut milk and its wrap is made from buri or palm
leaves and then steamed. The challenging part of preparing it is not the cooking process but
molding its container using the buri or palm leaves to firmly hold the ingredients together and
must need to be locked properly to maintain its form.
This delicacy varies in color depending on the type of glutinous rice used, some are sweetened
and others are not. That’s why Filipinos loved to eat ibos dipped in sugar or latik. Other than
that, these are also served during feast or holiday celebrations which made the food menu
complete.
There is indeed joy in the anticipation of our traditional suman. These are not only breakfast
foods to fill the stomach but also painit food to warm the heart. For lack of exact translation,
early Spanish dictionaries translate them as comidilla or slight repast, as the peculiar pleasure
afforded by this food strikes our fancy, as opposed to comida, which is a full meal to satiate.
Despite the process of how it is made or eaten, Ibos became part of the table every morning of
most Bombonueños since it is also available in their local market. It is like a routine that needs
to continue each day because this delicacy binds the family together and it also symbolizes the
gratitude of the people to the blessings of God manifested in nature.
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