Halo-Halo

I’ve always believed the best way to get to know other cultures and peoples is through food. We may speak different languages, practice different religions, and live in different environments, but we all have to eat.

I grew up in a very diverse suburban community. Tasting all sorts of different foods that I normally didn’t eat home sparked my curiosity and fascination for other cultures.

As a result, I found it super exciting to eat foods that were unfamiliar to me. I enjoy traveling simply because I want to taste everything that the world has to offer!

Halo Halo: Filipino Shave Ice Sundae

This is one of my favorite summertime childhood treats. While I was born and raised in Southern California, I spent all my childhood summers in the Philippines.

This colorful layered dessert is called halo-halo (pronounced HA-loh HA-loh) . 

Halo-halo in Tagalog translates to “mix-mix.”

Halo-halo is arguably the Philippines’ most Instagram worthy dessert. The name literally translates to “mix-mix” in Tagalog, which perfectly describes both the preparation and eating experience of this layered sweet treat.

I spent nearly every childhood summer in the Philippines. As such, I’ve had the privilege of tasting countless variations of halo-halo across the country’s different regions.

Regional Variations Across the Philippines

There are countless variations of halo-halo. Ideally, it’s a layered dessert consisting of shaved ice, evaporated milk, ice cream, and variety of different mix-ins.

These mix-ins range from sweetened red beans, sweetened white beans, sweetened coconut strings, gelatins, and fruits such as jackfruit, plantains, and lychee. The elaborate versions usually include a serving of flan (leche flan).

There are several regional differences in toppings. For example, a local shop in Laguna adds salted egg as a topping! Or, some shops in Davao add a scoop of local durian ice cream.

Ingredients

This is my super easy halo-halo that uses store-bought components.

In reality no one really has the time to make all these components from scratch! You can even find a bottled version of all the different components in one jar to make it even easier.

1. Sweet Beans
   • Red mung beans (munggo): also known as adzuki beans
   • White beans (minatamis na beans): sweetened white kidney beans
2. Fruits, Preserves, and Jellies
   • Jackfruit (langka): ripened sweet jackfruit, not the young green variety
   • Sweetened saba bananas: cooked and caramelized
   • Macapuno: gelatinous coconut strips
   • Nata de coco: coconut gel
   • Kaong: sweetened palm fruit seeds (comes in white, green, and red colors)
   • Gelatins in different colors or flavors
3. Ice
   • Shaved Ice: for best results use freshly shaved ice that is fine and fluffy, not too chunky
4. Milk
   • Evaporated Milk: canned milk that is sweeter than regular milk
   • Condensed Milk: optional, added for extra sweetness and richness
   • Coconut Milk: modern variations for dairy-free options
5. Toppings
   • Ube Ice Cream: may be swapped for any other flavor such as vanilla, buko pandan, queso, mango, or avocado ice cream
   • Leche Flan: silky crème caramel custard, try this homemade version
   • Ube Halaya: sweet, thicken purple yam jam pudding
   • Pinipig: toasted rice flakes (rice cereal or fruity pebbles are great alternatives)

How to assembly halo-halo

Grab a tall serving glass and layer the different ingredients together. Top with shaved ice. I highly recommend this electric shaved ice machine.

It is important to use shaved ice, not crushed or ice cubes. Shaved ice easily mixes with the other ingredients (especially the evaporated milk that is drizzled on top). Finish with a scoop of ube ice cream. 

Recommended Tools

• Shaved Ice Maker: Easy to assemble and easy to clean! This shaved ice machine is great for Halo-Halo, snow cones, slushies, and frozen milk shaved ice!
• Tall Serving Glass: traditional halo-halo glasses are 12-16 ounces with straight sides, usually the same glass used for milkshakes
• Long Spoons: great for mixing all the layers effectively

I personally am always excited to share my favorite Filipino foods with new friends: specially pandesal, calamansi juice, and chicken arroz caldo.