Kalamay — Philippines

Kalamay is a dense, sticky dessert made by slow-cooking glutinous rice flour with coconut milk and brown sugar until the mixture turns thick, glossy and deeply colored. Its texture sits between a paste and a soft candy, chewy enough to be sliced or scooped once it cools and sets. It is eaten in many regions of the Philippines, where it appears at markets, festivals and as a homemade treat, with local variations carrying their own name and character across different islands and provinces. It is usually eaten in small pieces, on its own, as the intense sweetness and rich coconut flavor go a long way. The rice flour is first dissolved smoothly in part of the coconut milk to avoid lumps, while the rest of the milk is simmered with brown sugar, salt and grated coconut. The dissolved flour is stirred in gradually and the whole mixture is cooked over low heat for a long stretch, stirred constantly so it thickens evenly without catching on the bottom of the pot. Once thick and glossy, it is poured into a greased tray or individual molds to cool and firm up, sometimes topped with roasted peanuts, sesame seeds or a swirl of vanilla. The exact ratio of coconut milk to sugar, the type of coconut used, and the toppings chosen vary widely, giving kalamay many regional faces rather than one fixed recipe.