I have a friend who lives in Chile. The other day he sent me a photo of his kids:
Everywhere else in the world it’s HOT! (at least…it seems that way)
Here are a few typical Filipino cold desserts according to Julia:
Halo-halo. This beloved dessert is now known worldwide thanks to Jollibee and Filipino restaurants. But the mass-produced stuff still doesn’t compare to the cheap halo-halo you can get from neighborhood stalls. Stalls that are only open during summer afternoons and use authentic halo-halo ingredients. The neighborhood halo-halo stall is where you hang out with your friends to cool down.
Image by: Elmer B. Domingo
Sorbetes. You know the sorbetes cart is coming when you hear the sorbetero (sorbetes vendor) call out his wares and ring his bell. Sorbetes is traditional Filipino ice cream made with coconut and/or carabao milk and sold in roaming carts. Each cart can hold 3-4 metal bins of ice cream, each a different flavor. Sorbetes usually comes in tropical flavors like mango, ube (sweet purple yam), avocado, pandan (Asian vanilla) or coconut. You can also find other flavors like strawberry (usually in Baguio), cheese (my favorite), and tablea (Philippine chocolate). You can have your ice cream on a sugar or wafer cone or as a sandwich .
Image source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/lainetrees/5693223587/
Iskrambol. Iskrambol or ice scramble is shaved banana-flavored frozen evaporated milk, topped with powdered milk, chocolate syrup, marshmallows, and candy sprinkles. This candy-colored Filipino version of a Slushy is a favorite among school kids.
Image source: https://www.pinoyrecipe.net/ice-scramble-recipe-or-iskrambol/
Mais and Saging Con Hielo. Though not as fancy as halo-halo, mais con hielo (sweetcorn with shaved ice and evaporated milk) and saging con hielo (cooked, sweetened bananas with shaved ice and evaporated milk) are perennial favorites because of their simplicity. It’s not as sweet as halo-halo but just as comforting.
Image source: https://www.foxyfolksy.com/plantain-bananas-in-syrup-minatamis-na-saging/
Ice Candy. If you’re craving something cold and sweet on a budget, you can go to your favorite sari-sari store to get ice candy. Ice candy is just frozen juice in a plastic bag. But sometimes, people add their twist to it by adding fruit bits or sweet beans.
Samalamig. Before the world was introduced to boba drinks, we already had a version of it. Samalamig is a chilled drink commonly sold by street vendors. It comes in different fruit flavors and typically has chewables like nata de coco, tapioca pearls, gelatin, coconut meat, and sugar palm fruit at the bottom of the cup. It’s are refreshing drink and snack in one package!
By Judgefloro – Own work, CC0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=61283444
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My son is about to leave for the Philippines for 2 years to serve a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. People have already told him about the Halo-halo and the Sorbetes.
John