Balicucha! These pretty treats are nothing more than pulled mascobado syrup. The syrup is pulled (and pulled and pulled) when it is super tacky, and air turns the deep brown of evaporated cane juice into a light beige. We use them to sweeten our coffee or cacao drinks, as they melt upon contact with hot or warm water, making for a great party trick. They are quite a beautiful (and healthy) replacement for sugar cubes. Versions are found across sugar-producing areas such as Ilocos and the Visayas.
Once you start becoming acquainted with balicucha on a regular basis, you begin to see it everywhere. We often say they are shaped like little palmiers–those delicious, sweet, flaky french pastries. Here are some from original gangsta Martha Stewart's website. You may fancy making some.
Where will this curious shape reveal itself to us next? As the next unexplainable crop circle? A curious tropical depression shape on the weatherman's blue screen? New research findings on its recurrence as an ancient motif in Filipino pre-Hispanic (even pre-Islamic) art and life? Needless to say, everyone's eyes will glaze over as we begin to talk about it in real life, so it will likely end up on this blog as well.
(Balicucha is on sale until approximately the end of this month, so you have that long to buy them for the cost of one conventional chicken egg.)
Also, on an unrelated note, check out our Pinterest account, where we chronicle global recipes for locally available, less common produce.
