Dumangas Pinasugbo: Thin Saba Strips, Hot Caramel and Crisp Paper-Free Servings

Pinasugbo uses thin saba strips fried crisp before they receive a sugar coating, commonly finished with sesame. That two-stage method makes the pinasugbo recipe a useful starting point: the banana must be crisp before it reaches the syrup. Paper-cone presentation can wait until the coating has cooled and set. Source 1

A PIA livelihood report mentions pinasugbo-making in Dumangas, Iloilo. This establishes a local connection, not an exclusive birthplace or a particular family formula. The method below concentrates on the crisp strip and thin coating that are useful to a home cook. Source 2

Prepare both work areas first

For about six small portions, use eight firm saba bananas, oil suitable for frying, one cup brown sugar, ¼ cup water, a pinch of salt and two tablespoons sesame seeds. Use long utensils, a wire rack and a lightly oiled heatproof tray or baking parchment rated for hot sugar. Set out the cooling tray before heating the syrup; there is little time to organize it once the strips are coated.

Fry, coat and cool

1. Peel the bananas and cut thin, even lengthwise strips, roughly 2–3 mm thick. Pat them thoroughly dry. Thick pieces may stay leathery while thin edges burn.
2. Use a stable deep pan with oil no more than one-third of its capacity. Fry small batches at controlled medium-high heat, adjusting the heat if pieces brown before they crisp. Keep the strips apart with a long utensil and never leave the pan unattended.
3. Lift onto the rack. Let a sample strip cool before checking its bite: it should snap or break crisply rather than bend around a wet centre. Correct the remaining batches before adding sugar.
4. In a separate heavy pan, dissolve the brown sugar and salt in the measured water. Boil carefully until the coating will set brittle. To check, lift a little syrup on a long-handled spoon and drip it into a separate bowl of cold water; once fully cooled, it should break rather than remain a soft sticky thread. Never pour the test water into the syrup pan.
5. Take the syrup pan off the heat and toss the dry fried strips through it with long utensils, making a thin coat. Add sesame while the surface is tacky.
6. Separate on the prepared tray and cool completely before handling or packaging. Use a food-safe liner if a finished piece still sticks to paper.

Troubleshoot the right stage

A sticky coating can mean the syrup retained too much water; brown sugar’s dark colour alone is a poor endpoint. A chewy banana centre needs a thinner cut or better frying, not a thicker coating. Review oil temperature and batch control if successive batches become greasy or dark unevenly.

Hot oil and sugar can cause severe burns. Keep children away, keep the work area dry and turn off the heat if oil smokes, allowing it to cool in place. Declare sesame and any optional butter before sharing. Package only after cooling and plan a small fresh batch; this method does not establish a commercial shelf life. Source 3