Buco also spelled as Buko is a Filipino word that refers to a young coconut with soft, thin and silky flesh which one can easily scrape off with a spoon compared with a Niyog which is a mature coconut and the source of coconut milk (Gata in Filipino). A mature coconut has a thick and Hard flesh which needs to be grated off its shell by a special coconut grater.
Buco is usually made into desserts, sweets or snacks in the Philippines. Some of the Philippines Buco treats are:
1. Buco Pie a sweet pastry pie or tart made from or filled with young coconut meat or flesh. It is usually associated with the province of Laguna, a province located in the southern part of Manila, but it is also being made in some provinces in the Visayas R egion, like Iloilo.
2. Buco Juice (Coconut water) is a juice from the coconut, mostly sweet when it comes from the young coconut shell and best when drunk straight out from the coconut shell after the top of the shell has been cut off. It can be drunk together with the scraped soft meat of the coconut
3. Pancit Buco refers to savory noodle dish made of scraped strips of coconut meat which served as the noodle instead of the usual noodle made of flour. pancit Buco is cooked like an ordinary Pancit dishes except that it uses strips of coconut milk.
4. Buco Salad is made of soft coconut meat/flesh with cream and sweetened with sugar or condensed milk (the Filipino way). The coconut flesh can be combined with other fruits, flresh or canned fruit cocktail, but it can also be served plain or only with coconut meats.
5. Buco Pandan is a type of fruit salad made from a mixture of young coconut meat/flesh and green- colored Gulaman which is flavored with Pandan (pandanus leaves), cream, sugar and coconut milk.
A Gulaman are bars are made from agar-agar, which is processed seaweed. In the Philippines Gulaman bars are cooked by boiling it , let it cool and set and then cut into cubes. Gulaman bars are available in the Philippines in different colors (red, green, orange, white)
6. Buco Maruya (Coconut Fritters). Maruya are fritters in the Philippines and a traditional Maruya is made from a Banana, but Buco Maruya uses young coconut flesh as a susbtitute instead of the usual Banana.
7. Buco Samalamig a cold drink/beverage made from coconut milk, with some coconut flesh and with Sago pearls and of course with lots of ice. It is a popular drink sold on the streets in the Philippines.
8. Ice Buco refers to a traditional popsicle made from y young coconut juice and soft flesh and milk with brown or red beans on top. This Ice Buco popsicles are mostly sold on the streets in styrofor containers. Ice Buco can also be put inside a cylindrical plastic then put in freezer until they are frozen, then they are called Iced Candy.
9. Bucayo also spelled Bukayo is a sweet , looks like a sweetened soft/chewy and flattened candy made of brown sugar or molasses with coconut milk and flesh of young coconut.