Ginataang Bilo-Bilo

Ginataang Bilo-Bilo: Glutinous Rice Balls in Sweet Coconut Milk

Ginataang bilo-bilo is a warm, sweet coconut milk soup of chewy glutinous rice balls, saba bananas, sweet potato, taro, jackfruit and tapioca pearls. It is a comforting merienda and a fixture of the cool Christmas season.

About Ginataang Bilo-Bilo

Bilo-bilo are small balls of glutinous rice flour dough, and this dessert goes by other names: ginataang halo-halo in some regions, since it is a mix of roots, fruit and rice balls in coconut milk. It is eaten warm, the way a Filipino family might have it for merienda or after the Misa de Gallo.

The ingredients are simple farm staples, which is why it has been a favorite for generations. The bilo-bilo are rolled by hand, the roots are cooked until soft, and the coconut milk holds everything together.

Ingredient notes

• Glutinous rice flour: mixed with water into a dough for the bilo-bilo.
• Saba banana, sweet potato and taro: the roots and fruit that make the soup filling.
• Jackfruit strips: add fragrance and a gentle sweetness.
• Tapioca pearls: give a second chewy texture.
• Coconut milk: the base of the soup. Use full-fat.

Tips for the best Ginataang Bilo-Bilo

1. Add in the right order. Taro and sweet potato first, saba later, bilo-bilo last.
2. Roll small balls. About 2 cm; they swell as they cook.
3. Stir often. Coconut milk can curdle if it boils hard or sticks.
4. Thin with water if needed. The tapioca thickens the soup as it sits.

What to serve with Ginataang Bilo-Bilo

Serve hot or warm in bowls. It is the right dessert after Bibingka and with Salabat in the cool December mornings.

Variations and substitutions

• With ube: add cubed ube or ube halaya.
• With latik: top with toasted coconut curds.
• With langka: add more ripe jackfruit.
• Colored bilo-bilo: knead a little ube into some of the dough.

Storing and reheating

Best the day it is made. Keep leftovers refrigerated for 2 days and loosen with a little water or coconut milk when reheating.