MANILA GOODIES

My brother went to Manila on a business trip a month ago. Here I would like to share the pictures of the food that he has eaten in Manila – yeah! He is a glutton like yours truly here!

Halo halo is the Manila version of our much loved ais kacang with more elaborate cuts of fruits. I googled and found this recipe should anyone of you would like to try make one at home.

Halo-Halo Recipe
(Tropical Fruit Melange)

• 2 tablespoons kaong or...
2 tablespoons nangka (jackfruit)
• 2 tablespoons macapuno (a variety of coconut meat sold in bottles)
• 2 tablespoons sweetened kidney beans
• 2 tablespoons sweetened garabanzos
• 2 tablespoons sweetened plantains
• 2 tablespoons ube or yam
• 2 tablespoons custard or creme caramel
• 2 tablespoons sweetened corn kernels
• crushed ice to fill glass
• 2/3 evaporated milk
• a scoop of ice cream on top

Halo-halo (from "halo" = mix) is a favorite Filipino dessert or snack. It is basically a mixture of sweet preserved beans (red beans, chick peas), coconut meat (macapuno), jackfruit (nangka), pounded dried rice (pinipig), sweet yam (ube), cream flan (leche flan), shreds of sweetened plantain (saba), filled with crushed ice, milk (or coconut milk) and topped with ice cream. The halo-halo basically is sweet, creamy, and a filling dessert.

This Filipino concoction is quite popular during the hot summer months (March-June) in the country, just as ice cream is. It is usually served in tall, clear glasses that show its colorful contents that tempt one's taste buds. One's thirst is even made worse by the perspiring ice-filled glass, and the melting ice cream on top.

And…. I can’t help salivating over this salad. It can be found in Sonia's Garden in Tagaytay – where the vegetables are purely organic (free from pesticides, home grown). Costs quite a bomb to eat organic these days.