I spent the morning in the natural rice fields, harvesting and bundling the stalks in preparation to dry them.
I turn to bundles of rice that have already been dried and begin to shake out the grains into a basket.
A pot of coconut milk and fresh water is already boiling over an open fire, and I add the grains of rice to gently cook them.
A sweet coconut scent wafts around me, as I then turn my attention to the pile of fresh fruit.
I cut up some banana, jackfruit, pandan, and ginger, and I scoop out the cooked rice into small, bite-sized rice cakes.
B I K O
This is a sticky rice dessert made up of three different types of rice. There is brown, black, and white sticky rice. It is flavored with some ginger and pandan. Different grains add different flavors and textures to the dish. Candied jackfruit and saba are used to add the reminiscent flavors of turon, another Filipino dessert, which is a banana eggroll.