Kapit

Kapit is a rolled sticky rice cake with jackfruit and latik filling. Sweet, chewy, and loaded with coconut flavor, this Kapampangan delicacy is delicious as a snack or dessert.

Kapit was one of the kakanin I learned to make on my recent trip to the Philippines, along with kalamay na gabi, sapin-sapin, and kalamay hati. I’ll be sharing all the recipes here so make sure to check back often for these crave-worthy desserts!

Kapit is a Kapampangan delicacy very similar to kalamay sa latik, but while the latter is bathed in arnibal syrup and garnished with latik and sweetened langka, the rice cake in Kapit is instead rolled around the coconut curds and jackfruit, and then wrapped in plastic film.

As its name, which means “sticky,” suggests, this kalamay is soft and chewy. It’s sold at almost every wet market or restaurant in the Pampanga region and is commonly eaten as a snack or dessert.

Ingredient notes

All you need are five ingredients to make this delicious native cake!

• Coconut cream– cooked until reduced to make latik and coconut oil. Check my post on how to make latik for additional tips.
• Glutinous rice flour– locally known as malagkit; also called sweet or sticky rice flour. Gives the cake its characteristic chewy texture.
• Water– I use a ratio of 4 cups flour to 2 cups water to achieve the kalamay texture I like.
• Sugar– adds sweetness.
• Sweetened jackfruit– I have a recipe for minatamis na langka if you prefer to make it from scratch, but I highly suggest buying bottled from the grocery store to save yourself extra work.

The authentic method of cooking kalamay kapit is portioning the pliable dough in plastic bags and boiling it in water until it floats. The glutinous rice flour is mixed with water to form a soft, pliable dough and then portioned in bags to cook in boiling water. Like palitaw, the bag parcels will float on top when done.

But while boiling the dough inside a plastic bag is traditional, it raises health concerns for some. As an alternative, you can wrap the dough in banana leaves and then boil in the hot water until it floats or place in a greased pan and steam until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Do not cook directly in the water as this will affect consistency.

Easy cooking steps

1. Make latik– cook the coconut cream in a pan until oil starts to separate and solids begin to form. Continue to cook and stir until curds turn golden brown. Using a fine-mesh sieve, drain latik from the oil. Place in coconut curds and coconut oil in two small bowls.
2. Make batter– in a bowl, combine rice flour, sugar, and water and mix until smooth.
3. Transfer to pan– line a rectangular pan with with banana leaves and brush with coconut oil. Pour batter into the prepared pan and place in a steamer basket.
4. Steam batter– cover with a kitchen towel and steamer lid. Steam for about 35 minutes.
5. Top with langka and latik– remove the kalamay from steamer and place on a baking sheet lined with plastic film. Even out with a lightly oiled spatula. Spoon latik in the middle of the rice cake and add langka strips.
6. Roll kalamay into a log on the long end, enclosing the filling. Wrap with the plastic film and twist ends of the film to completely seal.

Quick Tip