we made Suman
By jazel_juan
@jazel_juan (15746)
Philippines
August 27, 2012 6:57pm CST
Suman is a dessert here in our country. Made from Kamanting or Cassava or Tapioca ( i had to research that and i found out it is also called Tapioca and it sound nice lol)
my daughter tutor gave us this raw kamanting or tapioca and i turned it into a suman. I grated the tapioca very very finely..i had to do it by hand..well correction it was more of hubby's labor - the grating part hehe.
Then we had to squeeze it very dry.. as its juice is bitter and not good for consumption. i had to do that part, i wrapped the shredded tapioca and squeeze it in cloth and put something heavy on top to squeeze the juice out. After that hubby then got some coconut milk and sugar, mix it with the dry tapioca..
and then put it individually in banana leaves. The banana leaves were courtesy of our neighbor lol hubby heated the banana leaves to become a lot more sturdy and then wrapped and we steamed the mixture.
Yumm!! i attached the picture of the wrapped suman here as i took a picture of the unwrapped cooked one but i do not like the outcome lol as it look like a poo as it is brown ( sorry for that) but i ate it with a dollop of whip cream on top to be a bit more modern and i sprinkled with some sugar on top to add more sweetness yum!!!!
hubby like it with coffee.. it was a nice weekend for us again.
3 people like this
9 responses
@laydee (12798)
• Philippines
28 Aug 12
Hmm.. Wow, I learned today that Cassava is Tapioca! haha.. I have heard of Tapioca before but wasn't really sure what it was until your discussion heheh..
I don't really like Cassava suman, I'd always for for the rice or "malagkit" ones. But hey, it's a good family bonding you got there - with all the hard work done by everyone in the household and the eating done by everyone too! hehehe..
I would probably think that there was some sort of a thing that they use to form these things to make them NOT look like poo hehe.. or perhaps the wrapper wasn't tightly wrapped that's why it wasn't formed that well. But for sure it would taste great since a lot of effort were done by the people eating it as well!
Sadly, my household (except my dad) doesn't love these types of desserts or "merienda" or snacks. We just had hotdogs in buns and ice cream this long weekend. hehe.. Perhaps we should go back to our roots but heck those things takes a lot of effort and cooking.
I also heard that when Cassava is not properly processed (like the squeezing you and your hubby did) and there are varieties that are actually poisonous.
Have a great mylot experience ahead!
2 people like this
@laydee (12798)
• Philippines
29 Aug 12
Then better give them no other choice but the "suman" when you make one. hehehe. But I think the bonding of your family is great since you do those types of activities together. Our bonding also almost always involves food, but not the preparation, more on the consumption! hahaha..
@jazel_juan (15746)
• Philippines
30 Aug 12
do agree that food can definitely bond people, not just families but friends too
@jazel_juan (15746)
• Philippines
28 Aug 12
Yes it can poisonous especially the old ones as i have read the cyanide in it accumulates.. but we had fresh ones and i do not like boiling it lol i love it that way.
That kind of suman is also what my husband likes too but i do not the rice one..hehe..or the malagkit.. my family loves kakanin particularly my daughter, she would go for suman anytime that rice but of course against ice cream they would definitely ignore the suman hahaha 
1 person likes this
@jazel_juan (15746)
• Philippines
28 Aug 12
wish i could still ms.jai but it was gone by night lol.. the kids ate a lot of it! @jazel_juan (15746)
• Philippines
28 Aug 12
they could not wait for it to be cooked ms.jai! while we were grating the kamanting they were like mama is that cheese? lol and then my little took a pinch and put it in his mouth! good thing i was able to remove it lol.. or else an upset stomach.
@jaiho2009 (39141)
• Philippines
28 Aug 12
aw...they've forgot their auntie here 
1 person likes this
@cutepenguin (6431)
• Canada
28 Aug 12
This sounds good, but it sounds like you had to do a lot of work to get it. I bet it was worth it though.
1 person likes this
@jazel_juan (15746)
• Philippines
28 Aug 12
it is a bit hard work but yes its all worth it, i have to give my husband high five lol literally.
@GardenGerty (160949)
• United States
28 Aug 12
We only get tapioca in packages here, to cook at home, or in a pudding that is already made. I like it, but hubby does not. We can get a tiny kind that looks a little like rice or a large kind that some people say looks like fish eyes. My first husband liked it. I had never made it before. We would make a mixture of milk, eggs and sugar and put the tapioca grains in it and then I think I left it cooking on top of the stove. People here also add it to fruit to make the juice thicker if they are making pies. I think you had to work hard for your dessert.
1 person likes this
@jazel_juan (15746)
• Philippines
28 Aug 12
Oh that is like a cake then.. ours just only with coconut milk.. it is very very thick in consistency and a bit heavy in the stomach as well tapioca is rich in starch right. Yes sometimes you really have to work hard for a dessert, even with cakes if you want it perfect you need to be right with the measurements.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (160949)
• United States
28 Aug 12
No, it has no flour or baking powder or baking soda. It is a custard pudding. I do not know what you would call that where you live. In some countries they would call it flan. Eggs and milk or cream ( I have never had coconut milk I bet it is good) and sugar or other sweetener. Sometimes vanilla.
1 person likes this
@jazel_juan (15746)
• Philippines
28 Aug 12
oh yes like a flambe or we call it here leche flan.. i guess we call that here cassava cake..
@jamz82 (1860)
• Italy
28 Aug 12
Hi jazel_juan! It's the first time I hear about Suman, I've never seen it! It's a pity I can only watch the pic and I can't taste it, I can't imagine how is its taste
I'm a food lover and I like to taste international dishes. Thank you for sharing the picture of suman, I'm always fashinated by different culture from mine. Have a nice day jazel! 
I'm a food lover and I like to taste international dishes. Thank you for sharing the picture of suman, I'm always fashinated by different culture from mine. Have a nice day jazel! 1 person likes this
@asliah (11137)
• Philippines
6 Nov 12
hi,
suman is really good in my taste,we usually prepare that suman or kakanin during all saints day and Lenten season especially in my native land,people had been practiced this since before.and its good in the morning too together with coffee or even milk because i have tried to eat this suman with milk.
@astroversion (210)
• Philippines
28 Aug 12
I learned something from your post jazel_juan. Cassava is also known as Tapioca. So that's what they put on fruits shakes, those formed like little balls, its actually cassava. Thanks for the information. Also love to eat suman, I like it eaten at breakfast.There's also a version here in my place where young coconut strips are mixed with it.
@gracie923 (162)
• Philippines
28 Aug 12
I really missed eating suman that's my favorite when I was a child, but since we moved here in the city it's hard for us to make suman because I don't know how to make one, hehehe. But I will have some when I'll visit our province.
