kakanin
/kakaˈnin/
In Tagalog, the term for rice cake is kakanin.
Kakanin is a generic category used to refer to various types of traditional Filipino rice-based desserts or snacks.
Meaning: sticky food item made from rice flour (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word kakanin is derived from the root word kanin, which means cooked rice.
How do you pronounce it?
/kakaˈnin/
When do people say it?
In the Philippines, kakanin is a staple snack often sold by street vendors or served during festivities and merienda (afternoon snack).
Did you know?
- While kakanin is the general term, the specific rice cake puto is often paired with dinuguan, a savory pork blood stew, creating a contrast of sweet and salty flavors.
- In Filipino culture, kakanin are often used as offerings in alay rituals to honor ancestors or spirits during certain folk traditions.
- While kakanin refers to rice cakes, the root word kanin refers specifically to cooked rice, whereas the word for uncooked rice is bigas.
Examples in context
- Saan ako makakabili ng bibingka?Where can I buy bibingka?
- Masarap ang kakanin na ito.This rice cake is delicious.
- Bumili ako ng maraming kakanin sa palengke.I bought a lot of rice cakes at the market.
- Anong uri ng kakanin ang gusto mo?What kind of rice cake do you want?
Example conversation
Christina and Mark are eating snacks in the afternoon.
- ChristinaGusto mo ba ng kakanin?Do you want some rice cake?
- MarkSalamat, Christina, pero busog pa ako.Thanks, Christina, but I am still full.
- ChristinaSayang, bagong luto ang kakanin na ito.That's too bad, this rice cake is freshly made.
- MarkSige, tikman ko kahit kaunti.Okay, I will try a little bit.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry kakanin, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
