Binaki is steamed cake made of grated young corn with powdered milk, baking powder and sugar mixed with water. It is a known delicacy of Northern Mindanao and was originally a homemade dessert in Bukidnon.
In the native language, naming the delicacy “binaki” is pretty weird since the term sounds like baki, which is the vernacular for frog. This delicacy has nothing to do with frogs, though, and it doesn’t taste like one either. The assumption as to why it is called like that is maybe because the corn cake when wrapped with corn husk resembles frog legs.
My first try of binaki was when I went to Malaybalay, the capital city of Bukidnon. It was all over the plaza and a lot of people were happily eating it while watching groups of participants dancing on the street for the Kaamulan Festival.
I stopped taking photos and went to the corner where binaki of different sizes were displayed. The sweetness was mouthwatering and one piece was not enough. Though the texture was not as smooth as a regular cake, the goodness of the mashed creamy corn was heavenly.
In Cagayan de Oro, vendors of binaki are just around the streets of Divisoria and Cogon Market. If made with the best choice of ingredients, clean and hardworking hands, and with patient preparation, binaki will be one of the most delicious hunger reliever to an empty stomach.
Binaki is 100 percent free of preservatives. I believe it’s the best benefit we can get from this delicacy. It is not just a yummy snack; it’s also one of the healthiest cakes and I highly recommended it to corn lovers. This is another exciting taste bud experience indeed!
3 thoughts on “Binaki the Corn Cake from Cagayan de Oro City”