A DELIGHTFUL PLEASURE ON A HOT SUMMER DAY
Above: The Halo Halo on bowl
It is a must for many Filipinos to seek one of the most sought-after tastes during hot summer days – the Halo-halo.
With its many colorful fruits and variety of sweet beans, adorning the bottom part of a tall glass or bowl, and a mixture of shaved ice and condensed or evaporated milk on top, usually coupled with ice cream, ube and/or leche flan makes an ideal summer delight for young and old alike.
The word Halo-halo is derived from the word “halo” meaning “mix”. There is no precise recipe for the Halo-halo and various ingredients can be used, as long as the shaved ice and milk are included in the mix.
The key ingredients comprises of the following:
- munge bean
- kidney beans
- garbanzos
- sugar palm fruit (kaong)
- coconut sport (macapuno)
- plaintains caramelized in sugar
Other add-ons may incude:
- jackfruit (langka)
- star apple
- tapioca or sago
- nata de coco
- purple yam (ube)
- sweet potato (kamote)
- sweetened corn kernels
- pounded crushed young rice (pinipig)
- leche flan or custard
- ice cream (on top of the Halo-halo)
- gelatin
Fruits that may be used are:
- papayas
- avocados
- kiwifruits
- bananas
- cherries
The usual procedure is for the fruits, beans and other sweet ingredients to be the first ones to be placed inside the tall glass or bowl. This is then preceded by the shaved ice with the sugar being sprinkled on it. It is topped off with either ice cream, leche flan, ube halaya or a combination of all three. Evaporated or condensed milk is then poured into the mix when the dessert is ready to be served.
By savoring this sweet Filipino concoction, one’s desire for this dessert can only be heightened by the moist, ice-filled glass with its visually tempting colors and designs found on the bottom part of the glass as the melting ice cream screams to be taken-in by your taste buds.
So sit back, relax, enjoy and unwind as you experience the sweet pleasure of the tropical Halo-halo delight.
