Patopat and Linapet

Mountain Province abounds with rice-producing municipalities in the plains of Paracelis and rice terraces of Bontoc,Sadanga,Sagada, Besao, Tadian, Sabangan,Natonin and Barlig. One of rice varieties planted is the glutinous malagkit and balatinao out of which patopat is made.

Patopat is sticky rice cake wrapped in banana leaves cooked in rice producing areas of the province. A more indigenous version in Bontoc and Sadanga is the tinufo. This is a compact rice cake contained in woven sugar cane leaves and mixed with peanut or black beans. Patopat is a favorite delicacy which is eaten during cultural celebrations like the am-among in Bontoc and during Christmas and New Year’s Eve.

Patopat is kin to the traditional Pangasinan kánen made by cooking glutinous rice, coconut cream and sinákob (molasses cakes) or brown sugar. Patopat is also favorite among Ilocanos. Patopat is inkaldít to Pangasinenses and is much like the Tagalog bíko. In lowland areas, the woven coconut leaf casing makes this delicacy handy.

Patopat has made its trademark being sold in bus terminals in Bontoc and placed in plastic bags. The recent introduction of a labeled box containing the delicacy shows an improvement in packaging the locally made rice cake.

Linapet is steamed rice cake of Besao. It is cooked from malagkit powder with chopped roasted peanuts as filling wrapped in banana leaves. It is traditionally served during the traditional thanksgiving celebration in Agawa, Besao. The time of this celebration happens when the rays of sunrise directly transcends from a stone on top of a mountain to a stone tip. Now, linapet is commercially sold in Besao and Sagada.