Roots & Recipe Final Essay

   Just hearing the words "family party" instantly reminds me of baduya. For as long as I can remember, baduya has been one of my favorite Filipino desserts. At  each family party I went to, the baduya was at the end of the table waiting for me to take a bite. By the end of the night, each baduya was snuck away into everyones' stomach or in a plate to save for later. This dessert with the crispy, crunchy outside and the smooth, sticky inside could never be forgotten. 

   Just by eating baduya, it was like I went back in time to when I was a little girl watching my grandma making it for another big family party. Not knowing much about cooking, I was mesmerized by how my grandma made it. I asked my grandma, "Why do we only make it for family parties?", "Beacause this was the one of the desserts I always used to eat back in the Philippines at parties with family" she replied. She mixed the ingredients, mochiko flour, sugar, and coconut milk, with bananas to make the baduya all the more special. I watched her hands delicately form the perfect ball with the thick batter then smash it into the perfect patty. As each patty entered the hot oil, you could see the each splatter that came up to greet us. As we waited for each baduya to cook I asked her how she learned to cook baduya. "I used to watch all my mom and aunties make it before the parties in the Philippines, I wanted to learn. So my mom taught me when I was twenty years old.", she replied. As each baduya came out golden brown, you could smell the deliciousness that lingered in the air. I asked my grandma, "What is your favorite part of making baduya?", she simply replied "Eating it while talking story with everyone." One by one, each baduya disappeared as everyone talked amongst themselves enjoying each last bite of the freshly cooked baduya. As I took my first bite, the rich mochi and banana flavor swirled around in my mouth. The crispiness of the outside made the soft inside the perfect combination. While we all ate, I asked my grandma if she had any special memories with baduya, she said "I remember making it with my mom. We pounded the mochi rice into flour, we mixed the ingredients, and fried it in the dalikin (wooden burning stove)." 

   Every time I eat baduya, I'm reminded of my culture and my family. Even as a little girl, baduya was one of my favorite desserts to eat. I used to always beg my grandma to make it for my grandpa and I to eat while we played cards on lazy afternoons. Baduya has always been special to me and it always will because of the special memories it has given me. Watching my grandma make baduya as a little girl until now, gives me my motivation to start making it myself.