Puto Bumbong is a Filipino delicacy that���s traditionally served during the Christmas season in the Philippines. It literally translates to steamed glutinous rice (puto) cooked in bamboo (bumbong), and it���s a staple at my best friend���s house, where we gather for Noche Buena at midnight on Christmas Eve. The purple color comes from the mixture of sweet rice and black rice (pirurutong), but I���ve seen recipes that call for purple food coloring, which is obviously cheating! Puto bumbong is served with butter, sugar and freshly grated coconut on top. I asked my friend���s mom if she would show me how to make puto bumbong, and she was happy to oblige.

Most people around the world think of Christmas in terms of the colors red and green. Filipinos though, see Christmas in terms of lilac and yellow as it heralds the season of the puto bumbong and the bibingka.

Puto bumbong derives from the words ���puto��� (steamed glutinous rice) and ���bumbong��� (bamboo canon or cylinder).

It is considered a delicacy that has a unique preparation. It makes use of a ���lansungan,��� a heat steamer mounted on a pot of boiling water. It is kettle shaped with (ordinarily) two tubes that protrude and hold the ���bumbong��� or bamboo tubes filled with the needed ingredients and steamed through.

It takes only seconds for the puto bumbong to cook and the speed at which it is done is almost as fascinating as the taste. Almost.

While we Filipinos take it for granted that somehow the puto bumbong will be available come Christmas time, we asked two puto bumbong vendors if it is still worthwhile to go into the puto bumbong business.

Ingredients:

• 1 kg Malagkit/galapong (glutinous) rice,  mixed with 125 grams ordinary rice
• 1/5 tsp. Lilac or violet food coloring
• Pandan leaves
• Salt
• 1 pc Shredded mature coconut
• Butter or margarine
• Banana leaves
• Water
• Sugar

Preparation and Cooking

1. Soak pre-ground malagkit/galapong or glutinous rice and ordinary rice mixture in salted water with lilac/violet food coloring for 1-4 hours. Let dry overnight by putting inside a flour sack.
2. Put something heavy on top to squeeze out water.
3. Mixture is ready for cooking the following morning.
4. Or to manually grind rice mix – Slowly grind using a stone grinder or manual grinder. Do not put too much water in while grinding. It will delay drying of milled ingredients. Too much water on the other hand will cause the mixture to be sticky. Put milled ingredients onto cotton cloth and tie corners of the cloth. Let drip. When the mixture is almost dried, press by using a heavy object to remove excess water. Let stand overnight.
5. Place pandan leaves in water to be steamed. Heat steamer (lansungan) with enough water.
6. Put a small amount of rice mixture inside bamboo tubes (bumbong) about3/4���s full.