Pusô

Pusôortamu, sometimes known inPhilippine Englishas "hanging rice", is aFilipinorice cakemade by boiling rice in awovenpouch ofpalmleaves. It is most commonly found inoctahedral, diamond, or rectangular shapes, but it can also come in various other intricately woven complex forms. It is known under many different names throughout the Philippines with numerous variations, but it is usually associated with the street food cultures of theVisayanandMoro peoples.
Pusôrefers to the way of cooking and serving rice on woven leaves, and thus does not refer to a specific recipe. It can actually refer to many different ways of preparing rice, ranging from plain, to savory or sweet. Regardless, all of them are woven pouches where rice is poured inside and cooked by boiling.Pusôare differentiated from other leaf-wrapped Filipino dishes likesuman,binalot, andpastil, in that the latter use leaves that are simply wrapped around the food and folded or tied.Pusô, in contrast, uses intricate woven leaves as the pouch.
Pusôis traditionally prepared as a way to pack rice for journeys and is eaten held in the hands while standing, usually paired with meat or seafood cooked onskewers(inihaworsatti). It is still eaten this way from street food peddlers (pungkò-pungkò). In seated dining, it is commonly cut into pieces and served on a plate in place of regular rice.
Pusôwere once culturally important among pre-Hispanic Filipinos as offerings to thediwatàspirits and as an extension of the basic skill of weaving among women. It became linked to festivities since they were commonly served during religious events, especially the more complex woven variations. It is still used in rituals in some parts of the Philippines today, though the rituals themselves have been mostly Christianized. Similarly, it remained culturally important toMuslim Filipinos, where it became symbolic of theHari Rayafeast.
Pusôis related to similar dishes in otherrice-farmingAustronesiancultures, most notably theIndonesianketupat, although the latter is restricted to diamond shapes and is woven differently.A very similaroctahedron-shaped version calledatupatwas also found in pre-colonialGuam, before the ancient rice cultivation in the island was replaced bycornbrought by the Spanish.
Pusô(also spelledpuso,poso, orpusó) literally means "heart" inCebuano, due to its resemblance to a heart with the two loose ends of the coconut leaf emerging at the top resembling theaortaand thevenae cavae. Its other most common name,patupat, originally means "four-cornered [rectangle or cube]",areduplicationofProto-Malayo-Polynesian*epat("four"). This form is still evident in oldChamorrocognateatupat.
Pusôis also known by various names in differentethnic groups in the Philippines, includingpiyusopusóinMindorolanguages;piyosoinMaranao,IranunandMaguindanaon;langbay,lambay, orlinambayinWaray;bugnóyinHiligaynon;tam-oinAklanon;tamu,ta’mu, ortemuinTausugandYakan;sinambong,patupatorpusúinKapampangan,PangasinanandIlocano; andkatumpatinSama-Bajau.
Pusôdoes not refer to a specific recipe, rather it is a way of packaging and serving rice. Therefore, it can actually refer to many different ways of preparing rice, ranging from plain, to savory or sweet. Regardless, all of them are woven pouches where rice is poured inside and cooked by boiling. As the rice cooks, it is prevented from spreading by the pouch, resulting in a compacted cake-like texture. It can be made with either regularwhite riceorglutinous ricepoured into a pre-woven container and then immersed in a boiling liquid. It is commonly plain, but it can be cooked with meat or flavored withgatâ(coconut milk) and spices like salt or ginger. Other variants of the dish can also be sweet and can be cooked withmuscovadosugar.
Pusôare differentiated from other leaf-wrapped Filipino dishes like theTagalogbinalotand theMaguindanaopastil, as well as variouskakanínsnacks wrapped in leaves found throughout the Philippines, likesumanandmorón. These dishes all use leaves that are simply wrapped around the food and folded or tied. They are not woven into complex patterns unlikepusô.
Leaf-weaving is an ancient art in the Philippines and is used to make various traditional handicrafts like baskets, hats, mats, toys, sidings, and even religious decorations (both in ancientanitismand in modern ChristianPalm Sundaycelebrations). Food, as well, is commonly wrapped in woven leaves, the most commonly used beingbananaorcoconutleaves. It makes them aesthetically pleasing, practical to eat, and infuses the food with the aroma of the leaves.
Pusôpouches are almost always woven from coconut leaves, though they can also be made from other palm species or frompandanleaves. The coconut leaves used are freshly sprouted, usually pale yellow to light green in color and far more pliable than older leaves. These young leaves are known aslukáyin mostVisayan regions;palaspas,usbong,talbos, oribusinSouthern Luzon;dugokaninLeyte;ugbosinBohol;uyokinMasbate; andlangkóyinBicol. There are numerous techniques by which they can be woven, which has translated into many different kinds ofpusô.
Weavers ofpusôare traditionally known asmamumusôormanlalahinCebuano.
Pusôoriginated from a method of cooking and packing rice. It was also prominent in religious rituals in theanitismof pre-colonial Filipinos. The smaller or more elaborate versions were a traditional part of the food offerings to thediwatàspirits, a tradition the Spanish referred to asofrendas. These traditions have been increasingly forgotten orsyncretizedas Filipinos converted to Christianity and Islam in the last few centuries.
Rituals involvingpusôin the past in Cebuano religion includeharang sa mga kalag(ritual preventing the deceased from affecting the living);sagangsang(ritual fortubâpalm wine gatherers);damit(pre-harvest ritual);buhat silang(a thanksgiving post-harvest ritual);tigpo(ritual asking for forgiveness from spirits of the dead); andbalangkisaw(ritual asking for forgiveness from water spirits).
Nevertheless, it still survives in some (Christianized) rituals today, like in thepamisa(Catholic prayer for the dead). It is also still a regular part of theofrenda. Though in modern times the offering is usually to the household Catholic altar or to deceased loved ones, and not todiwatàspirits.
AmongMuslim Filipinos, it also survives as a festive food, and is very popular during a lot of Islamic holidays. It is particularly associated with theHari Rayacelebrations at the end ofRamadan.
Pusôcan be made in many different shapes using a wide variety of techniques. Some ethnic groups have numerous traditional variants, while in other ethnic groups, it is restricted to one or two. A lot of the techniques are also shared across ethnic groups and may be known under different names, indicating shared origins or cultural exchange between the groups in pre-colonial Philippines.
Leaf-wrapped dishes are one of the earliest native Filipino food described by the Spaniards when they arrived in the Philippines. The first recorded mention of rice cooked in leaves is byAntonio Pigafettawho wrote in 1525 of aVisayanmeal of rice andmilletwrapped in leaves served with roast fish.
There are six main accounts ofpusôamong Visayans published inVocabularios(dictionaries) of Spanish priests during theSpanish colonial period of the Philippines. Their authors often describe numerous variants varying by shape and weaving patterns, ranging from simple geometric shapes to complex shapes imitating objects or animals. But without illustrations, it is hard to imagine what they looked like, much less how they were made. Nevertheless, they give a glimpse of how complex the traditionalpusôwere during the pre-Hispanic period, although some of these forms have now been lost.
FrayMateo Sánchez, aJesuitpriest stationed inDagami, Leyte, is the first to describepusôby name (as "poso") in hisVocabulario de la lengua Bisaya(1615–1617). He describes it as being made by women. He also lists fourteen types ofpusô. They includetambong, which was flat and rectangular;binairan, brick-shaped like awhetstone; andbayobayo, which was cylindrical-shaped like a smallpestle. He also describes others that are even more intricately shaped, likecumol sin datu, shaped like a clenched fist;linalaqui, shaped like male genitalia;binabaye, shaped like breasts;sinaop, shaped like two hands clasped together;tinicod, shaped like the heel of the foot;linangbayorlinambay, shaped like a crab;binitoon, shaped like a star;bung̃an gapas, shaped like akapokfruit;binabaoorpinavican, shaped like a turtle shell; andynamoorinamo, shaped like a monkey's head.
Alonso de Méntridain hisDiccionario de la lengua Bisaya, Hiligueina y Haraya de la Isla de Panay(1618) describes six kinds ofpusôamong theCebuano,IlonggoandKaray-a peopleofPanay. His list repeats some of those mentioned by Sánchez. He includesposo nga linalaque, which he describes as "esquinado" ("angular");poso nga pinaouican, shaped like a turtle;poso nga binouaya, shaped like a crocodile;poso nga ibaiba, shaped like aniba(rice basket or jar);poso nga galangan, shaped likegalangan(star fruit); andposo nga paholan, shaped like the small piece of wood worn around the waist by fishermen to attach fishing lines on.
Francisco Ignacio Alcinaalso described the Visayan "posos" in hisHistoria de las islas e indios de Bisayas(1668). He described them as a ritual offering during thepagaboorsaraguntingritual, apaganitoanimisticritual to thediwata(spirit) of the fireplace. He notes that once consecrated to thediwataspirits, the "posos" are left alone and never opened. Like Sánchez, he describes different types ofpusô, namely thelinangang, woven with almost white coconut leaves in the shape of a small bird; andginawig, woven into the shape of a large hen.
Another ceremony that usespusôdescribed by Alcina is thepagbutas, which was done after a burial ceremony of the dead. The relatives and friends of the deceased would weave apusôand tie them all together in a large plate of water. Thedaitanshaman would then cut eachpusôaway while praying, signifying the separation of the living from the recently departed.
Juan Jose Delgado, another Jesuit priest stationed in Guiguan (modernGuiuan), Samar, writes about takingpusôwith him on trips to the forest to cut wood in hisHistoria general, sacro-profana, politica y natural de las Islas del poniente llamadas Filipinas(1751). He praised the way it kept the rice fresh longer. He also mentions how thepusôis cooked with meat inside in large cauldrons calledbaon. Though he does not name them, he also describes numerous variations of the weaving patterns, ranging from round, square, or rectangular-shaped. He also remarks upon the skill in weaving even among children who make the pouches, likening their creations to theGordian knot.
In the late 19th and early 20th centuryVocabularias, there are only brief mentions ofpusô. Juan Félix de la Encarnacion in 1885 describespusôas a kind of pouch filled with rice. Although he does also mentionpinaoicanandpinapaganas separate dishes. Antonio Sanchez de la Rosa in hisDiccionario español-bisaya para las provincias de Sámar y Leyte(1914) listspusôunderlambayandlangbay, the modernWarayname forpusôderived from the "crab" version that Sánchez described three centuries earlier. He describes it as being a "bolsa de figura de corazon" ("heart-shaped pouch") used to cook rice or rice in coconut milk.
Pusôis related to similar dishes in otherrice-farmingAustronesiancultures, like theIndonesianketupat, although the latter refers strictly to the diamond or triangular-shaped variants.Ketupatare also woven differently, the leaf base and the loose leaf strands do not exit at the same point, as in most Filipinopuso. They are also popularly associated withEid al-Fitrlike thetamuof Muslim Filipinos.Ketupatsomewhat resemble thetamu pinadversion amongMuslim Filipinosthe most, which are shaped like a flattened diamond, although they are also woven differently.InHinduBali, a similar diamond-shaped variant called theketipatortipatis used as an offering to the rice goddessDewi Sri.
Anoctahedron-shaped version calledatupatwas also found in pre-colonialGuam, before the ancient rice cultivation in the island was replaced bycornbrought by the Spanish.