"Balikutsa" redirects here. For the type of doughnut from Bicol, see Pilipit. For the coconut milk and sugar candy from the Visayas and Mindanao, see Coconut toffee.
Balikucha
Balicucha a candy made from sugarcane, serves as a natural sweetener for coffee and tea.
Balikucha, also spelled balicucha or balikutsa, is a type of traditional pulled sugar candy from the Municipality of Santa Maria, Ilocos Sur, Philippines. It is made by boiling pure sugarcane juice or crystalline sugar (usually muscovado or palm sugar) until it caramelizes and becomes a syrup. It is then pulled and folded repeatedly against a nail until it turns a creamy white color. The resulting ropes of candy are then cut into sections and curled at the ends, resulting in a distinctive shape similar to palmier pastries. They are allowed to dry under the sun before being sold.[1]
They can be eaten as is and are popular candies for children. They have a hard porous texture that melts in the mouth. They are also commonly used to sweeten hot drinks like coffee, tsokolate, and tea, as they melt quickly. They can also be melted again into a syrup used to sweeten desserts like cariocas (fried glutinous rice balls).[1][2][3]
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