drenisse moleta,
It’s already summer!
It’s the season where we crave something cold to repel the heat. Here in the Philippines, we have Sago’t Gulaman, Ice Candy, Palamig, and other treats to help beat the summer heat. But there is this signature Filipino dessert that makes us long for its sweet taste, a dessert that satisfies our taste buds even during any season and it is no other than our beloved Halo-halo! Every Filipino has probably tasted this popular food. It can be served in restaurants, fast food chains, in some street corners, and even at home. You can make your own version of this special dessert to satisfy your sweet cravings! But do you know where this dessert came from?
All countries, including the Philippines, have their own version of desserts. However, most Filipinos do not know about the history of our special sweet treat. Halo means “mix” or “to mix” in English. That’s why Halo-halo roughly translates to “mix-mix”. This was adapted from the Japanese dessert named Kakigori that is usually served with shaved ice and beans. In the early 1900s, ice was introduced in the Philippines when Americans built the first ice plant, the Insular Ice Plant. When the Japanese took over, they introduced new kinds of food and one of which is the Kakigori. The availability of ice made the Filipinos experiment with new cold desserts. As a result, they came up with an idea of making a Filipino version of Kakigori. This gave birth of the most well-known dessert in the Philippines, the Halo-halo. Soon after, Filipinos adapted making desserts out of ice. They eventually used this for making Maiz con hielo (literally corn with ice in Spanish) and Saging con hielo (Banana with ice in Spanish).
Halo-halo is so popular especially during summer, where the heat makes people crave something cold and sweet. Usually, this dessert is made with beans, sliced bananas, sugar, corn, fresh fruits, shaved ice, topped with a dollop of ube, a scoop or two of ice cream, and a slice of leche flan (a Filipino custard).
Photo Credit: Love and Foreva
Photo Credit: ABS-CBN News
Halo-halo is not just a dessert. But this summer treat is actually a great symbol of Filipino culture. It was adapted from another dessert, but we eventually made our own kind using local ingredients. Like the ¬halo-halo, our own culture has become a mixture of other cultures influenced by foreign colonizers. Despite this, we retain our own by incorporating our distinct traditional beliefs and principles. With this, our culture has made its own mark, just like our signature dessert, the Halo-halo.//by Drenisse Moleta
Feature: A Mix for your Taste Buds
It’s already summer!
It’s the season where we crave something cold to repel the heat. Here in the Philippines, we have Sago’t Gulaman, Ice Candy, Palamig, and other treats to help beat the summer heat. But there is this signature Filipino dessert that makes us long for its sweet taste, a dessert that satisfies our taste buds even during any season and it is no other than our beloved Halo-halo! Every Filipino has probably tasted this popular food. It can be served in restaurants, fast food chains, in some street corners, and even at home. You can make your own version of this special dessert to satisfy your sweet cravings! But do you know where this dessert came from?
All countries, including the Philippines, have their own version of desserts. However, most Filipinos do not know about the history of our special sweet treat. Halo means “mix” or “to mix” in English. That’s why Halo-halo roughly translates to “mix-mix”. This was adapted from the Japanese dessert named Kakigori that is usually served with shaved ice and beans. In the early 1900s, ice was introduced in the Philippines when Americans built the first ice plant, the Insular Ice Plant. When the Japanese took over, they introduced new kinds of food and one of which is the Kakigori. The availability of ice made the Filipinos experiment with new cold desserts. As a result, they came up with an idea of making a Filipino version of Kakigori. This gave birth of the most well-known dessert in the Philippines, the Halo-halo. Soon after, Filipinos adapted making desserts out of ice. They eventually used this for making Maiz con hielo (literally corn with ice in Spanish) and Saging con hielo (Banana with ice in Spanish).
Halo-halo is so popular especially during summer, where the heat makes people crave something cold and sweet. Usually, this dessert is made with beans, sliced bananas, sugar, corn, fresh fruits, shaved ice, topped with a dollop of ube, a scoop or two of ice cream, and a slice of leche flan (a Filipino custard).
Photo Credit: Love and Foreva
Photo Credit: ABS-CBN News
Halo-halo is not just a dessert. But this summer treat is actually a great symbol of Filipino culture. It was adapted from another dessert, but we eventually made our own kind using local ingredients. Like the ¬halo-halo, our own culture has become a mixture of other cultures influenced by foreign colonizers. Despite this, we retain our own by incorporating our distinct traditional beliefs and principles. With this, our culture has made its own mark, just like our signature dessert, the Halo-halo.//by Drenisse Moleta
0 comments: