Halo-Halo - Filipino Dessert

 Halo halo is a good representation of the Filipino culture which is a mixture of many influences and cultures: Spanish, American, Malaysian, Chinese and more.

It starts with a tall clear glass filled with sweet preserved red and white mung beans (mungo), preserved fruit, saba bananas (saging) and jackfruit (langka), coconut meat (macapuno) and coconut jello (nata de coco). Then this colourful parfait is topped with shaved ice, evaporated milk, mango or purple yam (ube) ice-crream, creme caramel (leche flan) and roasted rice puffs (pinipig).

Red mung beans (mungo)

Saba bananas (saging)

                                   

Coconut jello - white (nata de coco)
                                        

Sweetened purple yam (ube)

Mango ice cream

Once assembled, the layers are so pretty when they come together, the glass looks like frosty rainbow! Then with some skillful spoon-work, you start combining all of the flavours together to gather a spoonful of contrasting soft, chewy, crunchy, crispy and creamy textures bouncing and cooling all corners of your mouth. Here's a short foodieo of us in Cebu, Philippines enjoying halo halo, yum!

This is my childhood memory in a glass and love how easy it is to recreate it at home here in Vancouver!

Halo Halo, summer in a cup!

Ingredients 
Serves 1

Filling:
2 tbsp preserved red and white mung beans (mungo)
1/2 boiled saba bananas, sliced (saging)
1/4 cup white and green coconut jello, diced (nata de coco)
1/4 cup jackfruit, julienne (langka)
1/4 cup coconut meat, julienne (macapuno)

You can find pre-made Halo Halo mixes in specialty Asian stores

Topping:

1 cup ice cubes
1/4-1/2 cup evaporated milk
1 scoop of mango ice cream
1 tsp of ube jam
1 tbsp of pinipig (or granola)

Did you know: Pinipig are rice grains that are roasted and then pounded until they are flat and look like oats with the texture of rice crisps. 

Directions:

1. In a 16 oz glass (holds 2 cups), start layering the filling ingredients with the beans, saba bananas, coconut jello, coconut and jackfruit.
2. Using a powerful blender, crush the ice cubes with the milk to create a thick and creamy smoothie-like texture. Top the halo halo parfait with the milky shaved ice smoothie. Then add the mango ice-cream, ube jam and sprinkle with pinipig. Serve immediately.