Suman sa lihiya is a Filipino sticky rice cake made with glutinous rice and lye water, then wrapped in banana leaves.
After boiling, the suman comes out soft, chewy, and lightly yellow from the lihiya.
Serve it with latik sauce for a sweet, coconut caramel topping.
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Ingredients You'll Need
Notes and Substitutions
- Glutinous rice: Also called sticky rice or sweet rice. Use a good quality glutinous rice for suman that's soft, sticky, and chewy.
- Lye water: This alkaline water makes the rice softer, chewier, and lightly yellow. Use only the amount needed, since too much can make the suman taste bitter.
- Panutsa: A natural, unrefined sugar that tastes like caramel and works well for latik sauce. You can also use muscovado or brown sugar.
How to Make Suman sa Lihiya (Step-by-Step)
Step 1: Soak the rice
Rinse 3 cups glutinous rice, then place it in a bowl. Add enough water to cover the rice by about an inch.
Stir in 1½ teaspoons lye water until evenly mixed. The rice will turn slightly yellow.
Cover and refrigerate overnight, or about 8 hours.
Step 2: Rinse the rice
Drain the soaked rice, then rinse under tap water to remove any excess lye water.
Return it to the bowl, then add ½ teaspoon kosher salt (or ¼ teaspoon table salt). Mix well.
Step 3: Prepare the banana leaves
Cut 20 to 22 large banana leaves (about 8 x 10 inches each) for the outer wrappers.
Cut another 20 to 22 smaller pieces for the inner wrappers.
The smaller piece goes directly around the rice, and the larger piece goes outside to keep everything secure while boiling.
Rinse or wipe the leaves clean, then remove the thick center rib.
Pass the leaves quickly over an open flame until soft and easy to fold.
Step 4: Wrap the suman
Lay a smaller banana leaf on top of a larger one, positioned horizontally.
Place ¼ cup rice in the center, then fold the smaller leaf over the rice.
Wrap it snugly but not too tight, since the rice will expand as it cooks.
Fold the larger leaf over it to fully enclose the packet.
Then, fold in the sides to make a neat rectangle.
Pair 2 wrapped suman with the folded sides facing each other, then tie them with kitchen twine or a thin strip of banana leaf.
Step 5: Boil the suman
Arrange the suman in a large pot and add enough water to fully cover them.
Place a heatproof plate or pot lid directly on top of the suman.
This weighs them down and keeps them fully submerged while boiling.
Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to keep the water at a steady, gentle boil.
Cook for about 2 hours, adding more water as needed to keep the suman covered.
To check if it's done, remove one suman with tongs and let it cool for a few minutes.
The rice should be tender, sticky, and fully cooked.
Step 6: Make the latik sauce
In a small pot, combine:
- 1 can coconut milk
- 10 ounces panutsa
- A pinch of salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Break the panutsa into smaller pieces so it melts faster. Stir occasionally.
Cook over medium-high heat until the sauce thickens, about 15 minutes.
It's ready when it coats the back of a spoon and drips slowly.
Step 7: Serve with latik
Let the suman cool slightly, then unwrap and serve with latik sauce.
Cooking Tips
- Soak overnight: This helps the rice cook evenly and gives it the right chewy texture.
- Soften the banana leaves: Warm them briefly over a flame so they're easier to fold without tearing.
- Don't wrap too tightly: Leave a little room for the rice to expand as it boils.
- Keep submerged: Make sure the suman stays covered with water while boiling. Add more hot water as needed.
How to Store and Reheat
To store:
- Refrigerate the suman for up to 1 week.
- Freeze for up to 3 months.
- Store the latik sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.
To reheat:
- Steam the suman until warm for the best sticky, chewy texture.
- You can also boil it in the wrapper.
- If using the microwave, heat in short bursts and stop once warm. Too much heat can make the rice loose and less chewy.
- Warm the latik sauce separately.
Recipe FAQs
Suman sa lihiya is a Filipino sticky rice cake made with glutinous rice and lye water, wrapped in banana leaves, and boiled until soft and chewy.
Lye water gives suman its chewy texture and light yellow color. Use only the amount needed, as too much can make it bitter.
Yes. Soaking helps the rice absorb the water and lye water better, so the suman cooks up soft and chewy.
Latik can mean different things in Filipino cooking.
In this recipe, it is a thick coconut sauce made by cooking coconut milk with sugar until syrupy.
Latik can also refer to toasted coconut curds used as a topping for desserts like maja blanca or ube kalamay.
More Filipino Rice Cakes
- Sapin-sapin: Colorful layered rice cake, usually with ube and jackfruit.
- Kalamay: Thick, sticky rice cake usually topped with latik.
- Suman malagkit: Suman with coconut milk, wrapped in banana leaves.
- Ube suman sa latik: Ube-flavored suman topped with latik.
- Biko: Sticky rice cake topped with latik.
- Palitaw: Soft rice cakes rolled in coconut, sugar, and sesame seeds or peanuts.
- Kutsinta: Chewy rice cakes made with lye water and topped with coconut.
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📖 Recipe
Suman sa Lihiya
Equipment
- Large pot (for the suman)
- Small pot (for the sauce)
- Banana leaves cut into 22 large pieces (about 8 x 10 inches) and 22 smaller pieces
- kitchen twine or strips of banana leaf
Ingredients
For the suman
- 3 cups glutinous rice
- 1½ teaspoons lye water
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt (use half for table salt)
For the latik sauce
- 1 (14-ounce) can coconut milk
- 10 ounces panutsa or 1½ cups muscovado or brown sugar
- A pinch of salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract optional
Instructions
- Rinse the rice, then soak it in water mixed with lye water for about 8 hours or overnight. Drain, rinse again, and mix with salt.
- Prepare the banana leaves by wiping them clean, softening them over heat, and removing the thick center rib.
- Place ¼ cup rice on a small banana leaf set over a larger leaf. Wrap the rice, fold into a packet, then pair them together and tie.
- Arrange in a large pot and cover with water. Boil for about 2 hours, adding more hot water as needed to keep the suman submerged.
- For the latik sauce, simmer the coconut milk, panutsa, salt, and vanilla until thickened.
- Let the suman cool slightly, unwrap, and serve with latik sauce.
Notes
- Glutinous rice: Also called sticky rice or sweet rice. Use a good quality glutinous rice for suman that's soft, sticky, and chewy.
- Lye water: An alkaline water that makes the rice chewier and lightly yellow. Too much can taste bitter.
- Panutsa: A natural, unrefined sugar with a caramel-like sweetness. Muscovado or brown sugar works too.
- Soak overnight: Helps the rice absorb the water and lye water evenly.
- Soften the leaves: Warm banana leaves so they fold without tearing.
- Wrap loosely: Leave room for the rice to expand as it boils.
- Keep submerged: Add hot water as needed to keep the suman covered.
- Store in the fridge for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 3 months. Keep latik sauce separate in the fridge for up to 1 week.
- Steam or boil in the wrapper until warm. If microwaving, heat in short bursts just until warm to keep it sticky and chewy. Warm the latik sauce separately.
Lauren says
My mom and i made this. It was soo goood and so simple. I didnt expect that for suman. Thanks so much
Nora Reyes says
THat's amazing! I love it and thank you for your feedback.
Liz says
I tried your recipe and it didn’t taste like suman lihiya. Because you rinsed off the lye water so it tastes like just bland suman. My Lola said you’re not supposed to rinse the lye water.
Nora Reyes says
Hi Liz,
Thank you for sharing that—and I appreciate your Lola’s insight. Some recipes do leave the lye water in, especially when using a very small amount, and that does give a stronger, more pronounced lihiya flavor. For this recipe, I do a light rinse after soaking to keep the flavor a bit more balanced and less sharp, especially since store-bought lye water can vary in strength. The rice still gets that color and chewy texture from the overnight soak, but rinsing helps prevent it from tasting bitter for those who are newer to lihiya. If you’re used to a more pronounced lihiya taste (the kind Lola makes 😊), you can definitely skip the rinse or just do a very quick one. Like a lot of Filipino dishes, suman lihiya really depends on family tradition—and there’s more than one right way to make it. Thanks again for trying the recipe and sharing your experience ❤️
Velvet says
I made it for new year and it's so good! I used 1 cup of sugar instead of 1 and 1/2 for the sauce still very 👍
Nora Reyes says
Awww, I love hearing that! 😊 I’m so glad you enjoyed it—and yes, that’s a great adjustment. Thanks for sharing, and happy New Year!
Lara says
Whats the sauce on top? Looks so good
Nora Reyes says
Hi Lara, That's latik sauce on top! It's a rich, caramel-like syrup made from coconut milk. Really adds a special touch to the suman. Glad you think it looks good! 😊🥥🍯