PUSO: Cebu’s Hanging Rice

No Filipino meal is complete without rice. For breakfast, Filipinos make garlic fried rice from left over rice from the day before. For lunch and dinner, we prefer freshly steamed rice together with our favorite Filipino viands. Even many of our local snacks or merianda are made from rice such as Suman (rice cakes wrapped in coconut leaves), Bibingka, and other Kakanin ( from the root word, “Kanin”, meaning Rice).

PUSO of CEBU

But for Cebuanos who are on the go, there is a special rice made especially for them and it is called Puso. Puso is rice cooked inside coconut leaves shaped into a diamond container. It is called “Hanging Rice” for it is hanged and
sold in most Pungko-Pungko stalls and Carienderias. Even some food stalls in many food courts offer Puso.

Puso is meant for busy people with short lunch breaks. It is also a favorite among students because it is cheap and easy to eat. You can eat Puso without using any utensils such as plates, spoon or fork. Just ask the seller to make a small slit in the center of you Puso, then pop it open. You just eat the rice using one of your hands, while the other hand is free to hold some delectable Cebu treats such as Pork BBQ, Ngohiong, or Siomai sa Tisa. Puso is also best paired with Lechon Cebu.

Eating Puso is also very handy. You can eat it while standing, cramped in small pungko-pungo benches, or even while walking. It is also environmental friendly, for Puso uses biodegradable materials in the form of young coconut leaves and not plastic or Styrofoam. Plus it is more economical for the sellers, for they save a lot from washing their dishes..hehehe

Your typical Puso sells for 3 pesos. Some larger versions sell for 5 to 10 pesos. Usually, people consume 2-3 regular sized Puso per meal.

So next time your in Cebu, try eating your favorite Cebuano dishes with Puso for the complete Cebuano dinning experience.