Puso or Hanging Rice: Pinoy Food for the Gods

Pinoy food for the Gods: Puso (hanging rice) is a dish  that  consists of rice wrapped in coco leaves which is then boiled. It is served by slicing the coco leaves in half exposing the rice.

  

       This style of rice preparation, according to some, originated from   the  seafarers' need to keep cooked rice from spoiling during long sea voyages. The coco leaves used in wrapping the rice are always shaped into a triangular form and stored hanging in bunches in the open air. The shape of the package facilitates moisture to drip away from the cooked rice while the coco leaves allow the rice to be aerated and at the same time prevent flies and insects from touching it.

             "Puso" has continued to be popular in the Philippines due to the large number of open-air eateries serving grilled chicken and pork meals. Customers of these establishments often worry about the cleanliness of the food being prepared hence the popularity of "puso" where the rice remains untouched by human hands after being cooked.