Bandi is a bunch of cashews cooked in sugar, usually raw sugar or panucha. It's like peanut brittle except not peanuts, and without the oil. I can eat loads of these things, especially when they are fresh. You can get them all over El Nido, and in some places in Puerto Princesa.
Bandi, 5 pieces for 20 pesos.
This variation of hopia was bought at the roadside during a bus stop. I asked the lady what the filling was-- munggo or baboy? She looked at me puzzled and said that it was just hopia filling. I discovered this to be more flour with grated coconut and margarine. Needless to say, I didn't finish the thing. It was pretty tasty, but margarine is gross!
Hopia for 3 pesos.
Maja blanca, the rice flour pudding-like snack, came about after the Spanish came, as evidenced by the name. As this kakanin is supposed to be white, it uses white sugar... too bad, but still tasty. In some places, they use water buffalo's milk, but this particular one used coconut milk.
Maja blanca at 5 pesos a piece.
