Biko (2024)

A popular Filipino dessert, biko (“bee-koh”) is a delicious cake made of sticky (glutinous) rice, coconut milk, and sugar, usually topped with a caramelized coconut-milk-and-sugar reduction called latik (“lah-tik”). It’s generally served for merienda (afternoon snack) or as a dessert. Biko appears everywhere in the Philippines and no one seems to question its origins—but it’s probably from China, where rice is believed to have been first cultivated as a domestic crop.

Now, there are as many biko variations as there are grandmothers in Cebu, but fortunately, you don’t have to raid anyone’s grandma’s pantry to find it, as biko is widely available in restaurants that serve Filipino/Cebuano food.It’s so simple yet so good—it’ll be an immediate addition to your favorite-comfort-foods list.

Where: Chika-an sa Cebu (032-233-0350; Salinas Dr., Lahug, map) has been serving quality Cebuano cuisine for more than 30 years and nearly always carries biko on its menu.

When: Daily, 11:30am-2pm (lunch) and 6pm-10pm (dinner)

Order: You really wouldn’t hit Chika-an only for biko, as the restaurant has such good local food. Do happily swim through dinner before earning your biko for dessert. You might try the utan bisaya, a light vegetable soup; pinakbet (“pee-nak-bet”), a northern Philippines dish of sautéed okra, eggplant, tomatoes, squash, snake beans, and shrimp paste; grilled liempo, or pork belly; buttered chicken; lots of plain rice. And then finally, biko: warm, chewy rice slathered with sweet, sticky latik.The perfect ending. (Note that the color of the latik on top can vary from dark brown, as pictured here, to light.)

Alternatively: Head to a Catholic church on a Sunday—not necessarily for the services, but for the food. Vendors usually line the exterior of Redemptorist Church (Queen’s Road, map) as well as the Carmelite Monastery (Mabolo, map), displaying their wares on woven trays, shaded from the sun by colorful umbrellas. Take your time and take your pick—biko and its rice-cake cousins come in many shapes and colors. (Clearly, having a sweet tooth is not a sin around here!)

Biko (2024)

FAQs

What is a biko? ›

Biko is a rich, chewy Filipino rice cake made with sticky rice, coconut milk, and dark sugar. Traditionally served in a round, shallow bamboo tray lined with banana leaves known as a bilao, biko belongs to a category of sweets called kakanin, which is made up entirely of rice cakes.

What happened to biko? ›

In the aftermath of the Soweto Uprising, the government arrested and tortured or killed many of the BCM's leaders, including Biko, who died in September 1977 from a brain hemorrhage after police shackled and beat him.

What is the story of biko? ›

Stephen Bantu Biko was an anti-apartheid activist in South Africa in the 1960s and 1970s. A student leader, he later founded the Black Consciousness Movement which would empower and mobilize much of the urban black population.

What does biko mean in Tagalog? ›

Definition for the Tagalog word biko:

biko. [noun] a type of Filipino rice cake / dessert.

What does biko mean in African? ›

Biko. Definition: An igbo word meaning please. Example: biko give me that pencil means please pass me that pencil.

What is biko in Nigerian? ›

Igbo biko, meaning "please." For example, the sentence Biko free me means "Please leave me alone".

Did Biko from alone get any money? ›

While he didn't win the big cash prize, Biko said producers paid all contestants “just enough to get by and pay your bills back home.” But the months-long ordeal, which included a two-week orientation and two weeks of rehabilitation under a doctor's care, was worth it.

What are the negative aspects of the Biko family? ›

One of the most significant negative aspects of Steve Biko's family was the constant harassment and persecution they faced from the apartheid government. Another negative aspect of Steve Biko's family was the emotional toll that his activism took on them.

What was the aftermath of Biko's death? ›

Biko's brutal death made him a martyr in the history of Black resistance to White hegemony. It inflamed Black anger and inspired a rededication to the struggle for freedom.

Why did Biko go to jail? ›

In 1972, he helped organize the Black People's Convention and in the next year was banned from politics by the Afrikaner government. Four years later, in September 1977, he was arrested for subversion.

What does Biko symbolize? ›

Biko is a sweet and sticky rice cake made with glutinous rice, coconut milk, and brown sugar. It's often garnished with latik, a residue from coconut milk. Biko represents the sticky ties that bind us together as families and communities. It emphasizes the importance of unity and harmony in the coming year.

What is the meaning of black consciousness? ›

The Black Consciousness Movement in South Africa was born in SASO. Black consciousness, as defined by Biko, was the awakening of self-worth in Black populations. The movement's leaders hoped to redefine “Black,” recognizing that the term was no longer a simple racial classification but a positive, unifying identity.

What is biko in English? ›

What is Biko? Biko (pronounced bee-koh), a rice cake, is a native Filipino delicacy or 'kakanin' where glutinous rice is cooked with coconut milk and brown sugar then topped Latik.

Where did biko come from? ›

The term biko traces its origins to the Chinese influence on Philippine cuisine, originating from the Hokkien words bi (rice) and ko (cake). It is one of the more popular Filipino kakanins or "rice cakes" and perhaps the easiest to cook.

What is Pancit in English? ›

In the Filipino language, pansít is the generic word for noodles. Different kinds of noodles can be found in Filipino supermarkets which can then be cooked at home. Noodle dishes are also standard fare in local restaurants, with establishments specializing in them called panciterias or pancitans.

Is biko a cereal? ›

Biko is a sweet rice cake from the Philippines. It is made of coconut milk, brown sugar, and sticky rice. It is usually topped with latik (either or both the coconut curds or the syrupy caramel-like variant).

Is biko a delicacy? ›

Gooey, sticky, and with a distinct, nutty sweetness, biko is one delicacy that's difficult to put down after you've had a bite.

What classification of dessert is biko? ›

Biko is part of a group of rice items called kakanin, a term created for sweets made from either glutinous rice or glutinous rice flour. Biko is considered a Filipino dessert because of its sweetness.

Is biko a word? ›

Noun. A sweet rice cake from the Philippines, made with coconut milk and brown sugar.

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