Kundandit

Kundandit is a cake mainly made of pounded corn and/or rice cooked with sugar. It is then molded and cut into bite size pieces of between 3-4 inches long. It is a very simple and healthy way of producing a cake from corn and rice, and a delicacy that Manaoag the province of Pangasinan is known for, being a leading area for the production of rice and corn on the island of Luzon.

However, its popularity is waning, so its production by small-scale producers is small and in limited quantities. It is important to protect the product from disappearing because it is a means of providing livelihood to small-scale producers and a way of promoting home-based industries.

Since its ingredient is mainly native white corn, it is also a way of saying no to GMO corn which is presently being promoted by multinational companies operating in the Philippines. This traditionally planted open pollinated variety of white corn allows for seed exchange between farmers, who have bred varieties better suited to the environment over time. However, despite the disadvantages that farmers who grow GM crops face (such as having to buy new seeds every year and not being able to exchange them), many farmers are switching to yellow GM corn crops with the promise of higher financial returns. Additionally, due to migration out of the areas where the native white corn is traditionally grown, and the financial struggles of farmers, its production is decreasing, thereby impacting on the producers of the kundandit cake.

Preserving kundandit would help to save the cultural food heritage of the area since the product is very specific to the region. It is mainly used as snacks and sold around stalls in Manaoag Church along with other food products that serve as “pasalubongs”, the Filipino practice of bringing home gifts or giveaways to family and friends.