Alternative names | Pol cake, Sri Lankan coconut cake |
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Type | Cake |
Course | Dessert |
Place of origin | Sri Lanka |
Serving temperature | Cooled |
Main ingredients | Coconut, Jaggery, Semolina, Spices |
Variations | Brown sugar, rice flour |
Bibikkan ( Sinhala: බිබික්කන්) is a traditional Sri Lankan coconut cake. [1] [2] It is a dark moist cake made of shredded coconut, jaggery (from the sap of the toddy palm) and semolina combined with a mixture of spices. [3] Bibikkan is commonly prepared and consumed in celebration of festive and religious occasions, including Christmas, New Year's Eve, Sinhala and Tamil New Year. [4] [5]
Bibikkan is believed to have been introduced to Sri Lanka by the Portuguese, who colonised the coastal areas of the island in 1505 and remained until 1658. [5] Goan Catholics serve a similar dish called Bebinca, [6] which is almost identical to Bibingka, a traditional Filipino rice flour cake made with coconut milk, which is served on Christmas Day. [7] Historically the Mount Lavinia area has been associated with the production of Bibikkan, [8] known locally as Poranu appa. [5]
The main ingredients of bibikan are jaggery, an unrefined syrup from the sap of the Kithul palm tree; dry roasted semolina (Uppama) or rice flour; and grated or shredded coconut.