In Southern Luzon, there is a sweet cake called sinukmaneng or sinukmani This cake has another name there, Biko which surprises me as it sounds exactly like the name of a cake that has always been a part of my childhood and which I thought is either Chinese or Peranakan. Both are made from the same ingredient; coconut milk, brown or white sugar, and glutinous rice. The Filipino version usually has a topping of syrupy caramelized coconut or coconut curds; without which the two do look incredibly similar. Yesterday, just like on all the other 9th day of Chinese New Year; during the special prayers to the Taoist Jade Emperor of Heaven Pai Thnee Kong, biko has been one of the offerings placed at the altar. Biko, by the way, in Hokkien means gluey rice.
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