Puso hanging rice. Cebu’s beloved heart-shaped rice
Have you heard of Cebu’s beloved heart-shaped rice – Puso? When one roams the streets of Cebu, s/he can spot something interesting hanging from the food stalls. It’s a cooked rice wrapped in weaved yellow and/or green coconut fronds. Hence the name of this staple food – “hanging rice”, “puso” in Cebuano. It comes in various shapes. “Puso” usually comes with a variety of dishes, usually grilled or fried Filipino ones. Some of the most notable ones are, among others, “lechon” (roast pork), “tuslob buwa” (street food), “siomai” (a type of dumpling) or “ngohiong” (a type of fried snack). Often, it is also cut in half to ease consumption. However, did you know that “puso” has religious and ritual origins?
Pre-colonial animist roots
Numerous South-East Asian countries which practiced animism consider rice as sacred food, the Philippines not being an exception. Animist pre-Hispanic Cebuanos made use of “puso” as a food offering to ancestor and nature spirits as well as deities. These rituals, however, were not welcomed by the Catholic Church that arrived with colonizers. Thus, local people stopped performing them because of the fear of punishment. Despite the eradication of the customs related to puso, it survived in some places.
An example of such practice can be observed in one of Cebu City’s mountainous barangay, Taptap. It is called “harang sa mga kalag”. Local people put a banquet of different “puso” designs on the floor at the main entrance of the kitchen. It is to prevent the souls of the departed from dining. Nevetheless, the rituals have started slowly fading there in the end of the last century as well.
Every design under the sun
There are a lot of distinct “puso” designs depending on the context of use and information to relay. The frog-like “binaki” and orchid-inspired “manan-aw” designs resemble nature. It shows the early Cebuanos’ reverence for it and the ecological orientation of the “puso” as a ritual object. The diamond or heart like-shaped “kinasing” design also shows the early Cebuanos’ reverence for nature. This design of the hanging rice represents the farmers’ pride for their abundant harvest and good deeds. The shot-glass like “binosa” and chisel-like “tinigib” designs symbolize the early Cebuanos’ success, their attitude that led to it. Lastly, the “badbaranay” design, which means to ‘untie’, opens the ritual ceremony.
How to make it step-by-step?
Each hanging rice design has a distinct technique but all follow a general procedure. First, the midrib of each coconut frond is removed. It is usually done with the weaver’s nail, usually of the right thumb. Then, the fronds will be slashed into strips with widths that correspond to the purpose of the “puso” or preference of the weaver. Later, the strips of fronds will be weaved in a technique that is specific for a certain design of “puso”. Lastly, the strips will be tightened. The hand-made pouch will be filled with uncooked rice that is half the volume of the pouch. Rice is cooked in the pouch, which prevents it from spreading. It gives the rice a unique texture and make it really filling.
All in all, “puso” is an integral part of the Cebuano cuisine. Not only it is a symbol of street food, but it is also served on Filipino gatherings. It is also very handy, so many Filipinos eat it on the travels. And you – have tasted “puso” hanging rice yet?
Author: Franchesca Hortel (the USC alumni)
