LANDANG (LILOAN, CEBU)

.Many from the Visayas are familiar with landang, an important ingredient for the Holy Week staples binignit or dinoldog, similar to guinataang halo-halo. Landang is a processed starch product that, when cooked in binignit, both thickens and provides chewy tapioca-pearl-like bits. It can be extracted from several palm species, and has been used as a famine food when grain is scarce during war or drought (our landang is made from the majestic buli or buri palm’s pith).

How beautiful that a traditional, well-loved dish brings together what are now deemed “alternative” starches in our culture––gabi, camote, saba bananas, wild or common ube (balyakag, batang or tam-is), Amorphophallus (bagong or igaw), palm pith products, and more!

We received the Landang from Liloan, Cebu semi-dried and we immediately dehydrate it to prevent oxidation and fermentation.

To use: Soak in water for 1-2 hours; discard soaking water. Boil in fresh water, using 3 times the volume of landang. Cook until gelatinous and sticky. You may add this cooked landang to desserts, guinataang halo-halo-binignit, or beverages. Do not overboil. Extended cooking will cause it to break down and will thicken the dish.