HoThe thing about being a coffee addict is that sometimes, the acidity can become a little too much for our stomachs to handle. But for those who can never go a day without their daily cup of joe, completely detoxing seems almost impossible. Enter: rice coffee — a traditional Pinoy recipe known as sara-sara, which is made with burnt bigas.
Also read: Here Are 18 Unexpected Ingredients to Add to Your Coffee
Sara-sara: A traditional Pinoy coffee recipe you have to try
What it is
During the time of our lolas and lolos, sara-sara was something of a Pinoy household staple. Whenever families would run out of coffee, or simply not be able to afford coffee beans, they would turn to this traditional rice coffee recipe.
Essentially, sara-sara is made by roasting rice until it’s burnt, steeping it in hot water, then straining out the grains after a few minutes. The drink actually comes from the Hiligaynon term sára, which refers to the act of straining.
Fun fact: Not only is rice coffee a great caffeine alternative, it’s said to be good for soothing the stomach, too!
How to make sara-sara or Pinoy rice coffee
The recipe is really simple — all you really need is a little patience, as it can take a while to thoroughly burn your uncooked rice!
Ingredients
- Uncooked rice
- Water
There’s no exact recipe, as you can easily prepare it the way you prefer; but for starters, you can try out two tablespoons of rice for every one cup of water.
Note: As an alternative to bigas, some people also use corn kernels or grits!
Steps
- Roast your bigas or uncooked rice until burnt.
- Transfer the burnt rice to another container and pour boiling water over it.
- Steep for three to five minutes.
- Strain out the burnt rice.
- Enjoy!
I also tried making mine via a drip coffee machine (instead of coffee grounds, I placed the burnt rice in the filter basket), and it turned out just like regular coffee! You may even want to try experimenting with other coffee equipment like a coffee press, for easy straining.
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How to enjoy your sara-sara
You can drink your sara-sara the same way you enjoy regular coffee: have it black, or add as much milk and/or sugar as you prefer. One of the top recommended ways, though, is to have it with coco sugar!
While some might notice that it lacks that distinct caffeine flavour, others may find that it tastes like coffee made with a unique type of beans. Either way, sara-sara is a caffeine alternative that you should certainly try out for yourself!
Also read: 15 Coffee Recipes You Can Easily Master at Home
So, that’s all there is to it! Will you be experimenting with this sara-sara recipe soon?
