Biscocho, also spelled biskotso (from ), refers to various types of Filipino cuisine twice-baked breads, usually coated with butter and sugar, or garlic in some cases. Biscocho is most strongly associated with the versions from the province of Iloilo, although it actually exists nationwide in various forms.
History
The term
biscocho is derived from
Spanish language bizcocho. However, they are not the same pastries. The original Spanish
bizcocho refers to a type of sponge cake known as
broas in the Philippines. The crunchy twice-baked and sugar-coated Philippine
biscocho (more properly
biscocho duro), does not exist in Spanish cuisine. There are multiple claims of people who "invented" the
biscocho in the Philippines, usually varying depending on the region.
Variants
There are several types of
biscochos from various parts of the Philippines. All of them are usually referred to as "
biscocho" colloquially, which can be confusing. A common characteristic of
biscocho is that they are typically stale bread that are baked a second time. They include:
Biscocho de caña
Biscocho de caña is the most well-known variant of
biscocho. It is a specialty of the
Western Visayas islands, particularly the province of
Iloilo. They are pieces of stale bread with a small amount of sugar (and no butter) that is then baked to achieve a crunchy texture. The breads used can range from flat sliced breads to sliced pieces of
pan de monja (
monay).
Biscocho de Manila
Biscocho de Manila originates from
Manila. It is characteristically small and round and dusted with white sugar.
Biscocho de rosca
Biscocho de rosca, more commonly known as
rosca, is technically a cookie, and not a type of
biscocho. It is from the towns of Barugo and Carigara of the island of
Leyte. It is made with
lard,
anise, flour, sugar, butter, and eggs.
Biscocho de sebo
Biscocho de sebo, also known as
corbata de sebo, is a
bow tie-shaped
biscocho from Malolos, Bulacan. It is characteristically made with lard and thus has an oily texture. It is only minimally sweetened.
Biscocho principe
Biscocho principe, also spelled
biscocho prinsipe, is another type of
biscocho from
Iloilo. It is similar to
biscocho de caña but uses butter and more sugar. It can use any type of bread, but usually uses slices of stale
ensaymada, as it is already slathered in butter.
Garlic biscocho
Garlic
biscocho is a variant of
biscocho principe that is topped with butter and garlic (instead of sugar).
Kinihad
Kinihad literally means "sliced", from Hiligaynon ("to slice"). It refers to plain thinly sliced bread (without butter or sugar) that is baked to a crunchy texture. It originates from the
Ilonggo people regions of the Western Visayas.
Pasuquin biscocho
Pasuiquin biscocho is named after the town of
Pasuquin in
Ilocos Norte from where it originates.
Pasuiquin biscocho is shaped like small rolls. It comes in soft and crunchy versions. It does not use butter or sugar, instead it is flavored with
anise or anise liqueur, giving it a tangy and slightly salty taste.
See also
