I found Jo Koy’s bit about “púto” hilarious (check it out). About Mexicans mistaking Puto for something else when they hear it LOL
It’s the masculine form of the Spanish puta, which means “prostitute” and used to insult people to denigrate the weak and contemptible. As you can see, not a good word.
The thing about our “púto” is that it sometimes gets associated with the Spanish “Puta” One reason for this is that they sound the same. However, they are unrelated.
Our word “púto” is derived from Malayic origins. In Malay, it is spelled “putu,” meaning portioned, as most of these delicacies are served in small servings.
I enjoy having a variety of púto when I’m in Malaysia. Many have some similarities to what we make at home. My favorite is “Putu Piring,” which is made primarily from rice flour and brown palm sugar (like latik). They also have a version of “púto maya” that is not sticky rice as we are used to (in Visaya), but instead consists of rice flour noodles, steamed and topped with grated coconut and brown sugar.
Have a great week, everyone. – A
#whatdofilipinosmeanwhentheysay
