 A bowl ofhaluhalo | |
| Course | Dessert |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | The Philippines |
| Main ingredients | Shaved ice,milk, variousfruits |
Halo-halo, more properly or formally spelledhaluhalo, is a popular cold dessert in thePhilippines made withcrushed ice,evaporated milk or sometimescoconut milk, and flavoring such asube jam (ube halaya), sweetenedkidney beans orgarbanzo beans,coconut strips,sago,gulaman (agar),pinipig, boiledtaro or softyams in cubes,flan, slices or portions offruit preserves, and other root crop preserves. The dessert is often topped with a scoop ofube ice cream and sometimes other fruit-based ice cream flavors like melon or coconut, though it is just as likely to go without ice cream as well. It is usually prepared in a tall clear glass and served with a long spoon.[1]Haluhalo is considered to be the unofficial national dessert of thePhilippines.
Haluhalo is far more commonly spelled ashalo-halo, which is often wrongly translated as "mix-mix" in English.[2]Haluhalo is the prescribed grammatically correct spelling of the word in theCommission on the Filipino Language's official dictionary. The word, which does not necessarily refer to the dessert, is anadjective properly meaning "mixed [together]" inFilipino. It is a reduplication of the Filipino verbhalo, which means "to mix".[3]
The origin ofhaluhalo is traced to thepre-warJapanese Filipinos and the Japanesekakigōri class of desserts. One of the earliest versions ofhaluhalo was a dessert known locally asmonggo con hielo (derived from theSpanish Filipino dessertmaíz con hielo) ormongo-ya, which consisted of onlymung beans (Tagalog:monggo ormunggo, used in place of redazuki beans fromJapan), boiled and cooked in syrup (minatamis na monggo), served on top of crushed ice with milk and sugar.[4][5]
Over time, more native ingredients were added, resulting in the creation and development of the modernhaluhalo. One difference betweenhaluhalo and its Japanese ancestor is the placement of ingredients mainly under the ice instead of on top of it. The originalmonggo con hielo can still be found today, with similar variations usingsweet corn (mais con hielo) orsababananas (saba con hielo).[4][6][7][5]
Some authors specifically attributehaluhalo to the 1920s or 1930sJapanese migrants in theQuinta Market ofQuiapo, Manila, due to its proximity to theInsular Ice Plant, Quiapo's main ice supply.[8] TheInsular Ice Plant was built in 1902 by theAmericans, which became the ice supplier for thePhilippines. Although the ice plant was built, it was not the first introduction of ice to the Philippines. In the mid-19th century, theUnited States exported ice fromWenham Lake to different countries, includingIndia,Australia, and the Philippines.[4][5]
There is no standard set of ingredients forhaluhalo as the ingredients can vary widely, but the dessert usually includessugar palm fruit (kaong),coconut sport (macapuno),sabaplantains cooked in syrup (minatamis na saging),jackfruit (langkâ), agar jellies (gulaman),tapioca pearls,nata de coco,sweet potato cooked in syrup (minatamis na kamote), beans cooked in syrup, pounded toasted young rice (pinipig), and often alsoice cream.[1][5]
The ingredients are placed in specific positions. The fruit, beans, and other sweets are placed at the bottom, followed by shaved ice, and then topped withleche flan,ube halaya (mashedpurple yam),ice cream, or any combination of the three.Evaporated milk or sometimescoconut milk is poured onto the mixture upon serving. While ube ice cream is often used alongside or as a substitute for ubehalaya, and other fruit-based flavors of ice cream may be used, many varieties ofhaluhalo omit ice cream in general due to its sweetness and creaminess being felt to overload the dessert, which already has milk and various sweetened ingredients, and to throw off the balance of flavors when mixed together. If the haluhalo includes ice cream on top, a common practice is to eat the ice cream first before mixing the other ingredients.[1][5] There are local and regional varieties of haluhalo throughout the country, which include different and/or additional ingredients than those previously listed, including sweetenedwintermelon,durian, and strawberry ice cream, among others.[9]
There is a similarVisayan dessert calledbinignit, which is referred to as "ginataang haluhalo" inTagalog ("mixed [ingredients] incoconut milk") and commonly shortened to "ginataan". It uses a lot of the same ingredients, although it is usually served hot.[10][11]
Haluhalo was featured in season 1, episode 2 ofAnthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown when its hostAnthony Bourdain visited aJollibee branch, a Filipino fast-food restaurant, inLos Angeles. Bourdain praised the dessert and called it "oddly beautiful". He posted a photo of the dessert on hisTwitter account.[12][13] The show featured the dessert again in season 7, episode 1 when Bourdain learns how Filipinos make the dessert.[14]
Haluhalo was featured as a Quickfire Challenge dish season 4, episode 7 of the Americanreality television seriesTop Chef.American contestantDale Talde prepared the dessert, which featured avocado, mango, kiwifruit, and nuts. Talde was named one of the top three Quickfire Challenge dishes by guest judgeJohnny Iuzzinni ofJean Georges. Talde also made the dish in a later episode.[15]
The dessert was featured on a "Delicious Destinations" edition episode ofBizarre Foods.[16]
Haluhalo can be found in a wide range of places, from food stands to 5-star hotels.[17] Filipino fast-food restaurants likeJollibee,[18]Max's,Mang Inasal, andChowking servehaluhalo.
Today, many non-Quiapense informants in their forties and older associate the Quinta Market with this dessert. Why did this market become important in the invention of this dessert? Aside from its being a Japanese legacy in the area [...] of all the city markets, the Quinta was closest to theice.
