What is Binubudan in English?
Binubudan is the Ilocano name for the sweet fermented rice known as Binuburan in Pangasinan. It is a favorite dish in Northern Luzon.
In Pangasinan, they pressed this on a “bigao” or bilao, lined with banana leaves, then once more covered with banana leaves. Don’t worry, you can make this recipe even without the banana leaves. You may use mason jars or sterilized jars.
Did you know that, “Tapuy”, the rice-based wine from Northern Luzon, is created using this recipe. You will learn below how to make this into Tapuy with longer fermentation.
Binubudan Recipe (Homemade Fermented Rice)
INGREDIENTS:
- 500g glutinous rice
- 1 rice yeast ball for rice wine* (about 10-15g)
- Water, as needed
*Buy it in online stores like Lazada/ Shopee/ Amazon/ Asian Chinese Store
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Preparation: In a glass bowl, soak the rice for 4-5 hours or overnight. Drain.
- Cook Rice as usual: Just add enough water to just cover the rice. Same water ratio with rice. You can use a rice cooker or cook it in a pot. Steam for about 30-40 minutes until rice is cooked through. Cover and leave rice to cool but still warm to touch (just warm to touch but won’t kill the yeast).
- Boil some water, leave to cool and set aside.
- Ground or crush the rice yeast with pestle and mortar to powder.
- Put the warm rice in a clean mixing bowl, mash with a wooden spoon. The rice will be very sticky and difficult to stir. Sprinkle with boiled cooled water (about 1/2 cup, you can add a little bit if needed) and add the grounded rice yeast. Loosen up rice and thoroughly mix yeast into the rice.
- Fermentation Process: Pour rice mixture into a Sterilized clean glass jar or plastic container. The container should be covered with a breathable cloth and tightened with a rubber band.
- Make a slope/hole in the center of the rice, this will give you indication when rice has fermented and juice is appearing in the hole.
- Leave in the warmest, clean dry place in your house (or next to a radiator if you’re in other winter country). Check the rice after 2 days, while some suggest 4 days (It will depend on your location, much longer up to a week if you’re in another country or room temperature is cooler).
- How to Know if it’s Ready for Serving? The rice is Good for serving when it has gotten extremely moist and juice has accumulated on the bottom or around the container. Another sign is that juice began to gather in the previously formed middle hole. The rice should have a thick porridge-like consistency and a sweet flavor.
- Over Fermentation Hint: Something is wrong if it tastes sour or overly alcoholic, possibly too much fermentation or too much heat/high temperature. You can keep the rice wine for your cooking essentials.
- Storage Notes: Stir the mixture, place in the refrigerator for up to a month in a clean jar or the original container. Place some in the freezer if you won’t be consuming it within a month.
- Points to Remember: Avoid the airtight cover of the jar to prevent additional fermentation. The mixture will ferment, the longer you leave it. It will become alcoholic in the longer run. The sugar will transforms into alcohol or slightly sour, and the sugar will turn into vinegar the longer it ferments. So it is best to consume while the mixture is still at its sweetest.