Binangkal are round fried sesame seed covered balls of goodness from the Central Visayas and Northern Mindanao. They are Bisaya deep fried sesame balls that are dense and delicious especially with sikwate or tsokolate, or coffee!
Binangkal history, or istorya (kwento or stories)
It is said Binangkal shares its name with the Bangkal tree or Nauclea orientalis because they look like the fruit, or maybe even the flower, of this local tree. Another story links binangkal to “bangkal” which could also mean buried turtle eggs, comparing the pastry to turtle eggs coated in sand. They are also similar to Chinese laughing balls, so there’s a chance the recipe was brought to the Visayas by Chinese immigrants and/or merchants a long time ago.
Unfortunately all of this has yet to be verified. What is true, is that it is soft on the inside, crisp on the outside, and delicious and filling altogether!
The recipe is simple, mainly consisting of flour, brown sugar, oil, and coated with sesame seeds. Some recipes call for muscovado sugar giving them an even darker brown color. When the dough balls are finally put in the oil to fry, they typically crack at one end, revealing a beige dough inside against a darker, crispy shell covered in sesame seeds. Lami jud ni! (This is definitely delicious!)
Binangkal recipes
- A simple Binangkal recipe by Pinoyfoodblog.com.
- Binangkal with banana at Mamasguiderecipes.com.
- Binangkal with ube at Pinoyhapagkainan.com.
If you’re visiting the Visayas, pop in to most bakeries and they’ll have binangkal. Some can be as small as a quail egg, or as large as a tennis ball! Like most pastries, they’re most enjoyable fresh from the fryer, with a crispy outside and a moist, dense, and subtle sweetness on the inside.
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