In a recent episode of CNN show “Parts Unknown”, host and chef Anthony Bourdain was introduced to Halo – Halo. “Oddly beautiful” were his description of this favorite Pinoy icy treat. Surprisingly, he got his first taste of this cold dessert from a Jollibee branch in LA – Koreatown.
Sometimes it makes you wonder how small the world has become. A pinoy favorite available in an area in the United States populated with Koreans. 🙂 But yah the world is becoming smaller and smaller, many contends it’s no longer 6 degrees of separation but rather it has become 4.74 degrees, thanks to Facebook lol.
But it’s all good because now we can easily introduce to the world some of our popular Filipino foods and desserts – halo halo included. \o/
Summer and Halo Halo is a perfect pair! I bet you’ve enjoyed this cold treat this blazingly hot summer! Righty, right?
A Pinoy favorite dessert
Based on my travels, you can find the best halo – halo not in posh restaurants but in hole in the wall restos like Lerma’s and Aleng Taleng’s in Laguna, Famous Digman in Cavite, Melton’s in Cebu, Aling Foping’s in Davao, The Original Razon’s and Corazon’s in Pampanga, DJC in Tiwi Albay etc.
What’s your town’s most popular halo – halo? Hope you’ll share it! 🙂
Popular mainstream brands would be Chowking’s, Razon’s, Ice Castle’s to name a few. You can usually find them in malls and big arcades. But the most expensive halo – halo might be the gigantic one serve in Manila Peninsula. I watched an episode about it once and my mouth dropped at the sight of the big, huge bowl of halo-halo hehe nevermind the price haha.
Halo – Halo is a colorful mixture of different ingredients and eating it depends on you and your preference. Some will ‘attack’ this treat by mixing all ingredients at once, some eat the ingredients one by one until it’s almost gone then you ‘halo’ it.
“Halo” is a tagalog word for “mix”.
Most halo-halo is a medley of sweetened saba (stewed and sweetened plantain), ube (purple yam), kaong (sugar palm), red beans, a dollop of leche flan, milk, sago (tapioca balls made from cassava starch), macapuno, sprinkled with pinipig (roasted rice puffs) and top with a scoop or two of ice cream, usually ube flavor. In some places adding a slice or two of langka (sweetened jackfruit) and cornflakes is preferred, others add in fruits in season. But the number 1 ingredient is crushed iced or finely shaved ice, without it you can’t make this pinoy dessert favorite.
Look at the colors in this popular Filipino dessert 
Delights the eyes too, right?
If you travel across Southeast Asia, you will undoubtedly find a cold dessert that will make you think twice if it’s halo-halo or not. According to some foodies and historians, halo – halo is not native to the country, this icy treat roots can be traced to the Japanese kakigori. Yet as most foreign things introduce in our land, we have made it our own.
Halo – Halo is a Philippine favorite and one that the world associates with us. One serving of halo-halo please. 😉
Place your comments below on where to buy the best halo halo in your home town or city!
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