Tuesday's Cupful: Apigige'

A hand-held coconut treat from the Pacific

A rubbery texture and bland appearance initially makes apigige’ uninviting; however, you can’t judge this Guam delicacy by its cover. The Mixed Stew crew grew up eating these unique Chamorro treats in Guam. They are fairly simple to make and thanks to the growing diversity of U.S. communities, the ingredients may be found at Asian grocers, especially Filipino markets. The main ingredients are young coconut, grated cassava, and sugar. There are variations to the recipe. It's almost a homecoming of sorts for a Chamorro to see cooked apigige’, which come wrapped inside banana leaves and are grilled. Yes, un-wrapping these treats is part of the experience. Here is our recipe:

What you will need:

1 large bowl
1 large plastic spoon
1 (16-oz) bags frozen cassava, grated
1 (24-oz) jar of young coconut (macapuno) strings packed in sweetened syrup
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 (16-oz) bag frozen banana leaves
1 nonstick griddle-grill or large cast-iron fry-pan

Cooking and Directions:




Thaw banana leaves and grated cassava in their bags overnight in fridge. Clean and rinse banana leaves. Let dry. Cut dried banana leaves into 5 inch wide pieces. They should be at least 6 inches long -- full depth. Set aside. Next, combine cassava, coconut (with syrup), and sugar in large bowl. Mix well into a thick batter. Spoon 3-4 tablespoons of paste-like batter into centers of banana-leaf pieces. Spread mix into roughly 4 inch x 1.5 inch rectangles. You don't want the apigige' to be too thick. Carefully fold and roll like flattened burritos. If necessary, use long, thin strips to tie ends down so mixture doesn't spill out. Heat griddle or fry-pan on medium heat. After surface is hot, place wrapped apigige’ on surface. Let apigige’ cook on each side for at least 3-5 minutes. The cooked apigige’ should puff up and thicken and the banana-leaf wrapping should burn slightly on the outside. After removing from heat, let the apigige’ rest and cool for at least 30 minutes before serving. This recipe can make up to 25 apigige'. Store leftovers in the fridge.