Tupig is a native delicacy from Pangasinan which is made with ground glutinous rice and coconuts strips wrapped in banana leaves. It is then cooked over charcoal, which adds to the delicious flavor of this chewy rice cake.
The word “tupig” means “flattened” in the local dialect, referring to the sweet treat’s shape when cooked.
Also called “intemtem” or “kangkanen,” tupig is common in northwestern Luzon, particularly in Pangasinan, though it’s also very popular in Ilocos and Tarlac.
Before tupig became a popular street food and sold as souvenir items for tourists, it used to be served only during the Christmas season. It’s like this region’s puto bumbong or bibingka, favorite Filipino food items that herald the coming of the festive holiday.
In fact, it apparently was commonly given to carollers, kind of like how candies are given out to children during trick or treats.
It wasn’t until the 1960s that tupig became a year-round delicacy, enjoyed by locals and tourists alike. More recently, variants of the popular rice cake has emerged, including flavors with jackfruit, pandan, and ube. There’s even one where instead of wrapping them in banana leaves, they are cooked in bamboo tubes.
Whatever variant or flavor, tupig is best paired with a hot cup of salabat (ginger tea) or black coffee.
Tupig is usually sold along the streets, along a long line of vendors, with the scent of burnt banana leaves and sweet coconut wafting through the air; or near tourist destinations such as the Manaog Church.
Tupig is usually sold in bundles of 10 for less than P100. What’s good about tupig is that you can buy a lot of them as they don’t spoil easily. What you don’t finish that day, you may put inside a refrigerator, reheat the next day (through steaming or in a microwave). Based on experience, tupig can well last over a week, which makes it an ideal souvenir item.