Kutsinta

Kutsinta is a Filipino kakanin with a sticky, chewy texture. Vanjo Merano’s selected steamed cake combines rice flour and all-purpose flour with brown sugar, water, lye water and annatto, then finishes with grated coconut.

Rice flour, all-purpose flour and brown sugar are mixed together first. Water is added gradually while mixing until the ingredients are evenly distributed through the batter.

Annatto seeds soak in a small portion of water for the colour mixture. That annatto water and the lye water are stirred into the flour-and-sugar batter.

The mixture is divided between individual moulds and steamed. The finished cakes are served with grated or shredded coconut on top.

Merano presents kutsinta as a merienda option and describes its sticky, chewy bite alongside the coconut topping. This version uses the two flours together, giving the small steamed cakes their own place among Filipino sweet snacks.