Two words: Halo. Halo.
Halo-halo is probably the first thing to come to mind when it comes to the subject of proudly Filipino desserts. When directly translated to English, halo-halo means “mix-mix” as the dessert is literally a glass-full of different ingredients put together to create this buzz-worthy dessert. Even foreigners are crazy about this sweet treat. You can’t say you’ve been to the Philippines if you haven’t had halo-halo! It’s like a rite of passage. The perfect introduction to understanding the Filipino palate.
So why are Pinoys so crazy about halo-halo? What is it about this dessert that makes us tick? (And if you don’t love halo-halo, OMG WE CAN’T BE FRIENDS. Loljk.)
In honor of National Halo-Halo Sarap Day (yes that is a thing, I didn’t just make that up), we’ve come up with five reasons why we think Pinoys will always have a special place in their hearts for the ever comforting Pinoy dessert.
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5. It’s a heat-buster.
Living in the beach-abundant, tropical country that is the Philippines, man, it surely can get hot. Which is why Filipinos love airconditioned malls in the first place. We love to escape the heat. And what is another sure-fire way to beat the heat? With a cold dessert, of course! The halo-halo’s base is crushed ice, so I don’t know how it can get any cooler than this. So with summer season now upon us, expect halo-halo stands to pop up everywhere. It is the official summer dessert, after all.
4. It is the perfect meal-ender and merienda.
I don’t know about you, but my favorite part of any meal is the dessert. And you know how the saying goes, “there is always room for dessert”? Well, there is always room in my stomach for halo-halo. And I think many Pinoys would surely say the same for them, too.
Cold and sweet and super delicious, halo-halo is just always the perfect way to cleanse the palate after a meal. And don’t forget merienda—halo-halo’s the perfect companion for your afternoon snack times over chikahan with your buddies, too.
3. All those glorious ingredients!
The best thing about the halo-halo is that there is no one way of creating it. You can mix it however you like! With langka or no langka, with whatever beans, fruits, jello, ice cream, ube, leche flan…you can get as creative as you want. There are a ton of ways to mix it together, and it’s always a pleasant surprise how it always varies depending where you got your halo-halo or who made it for you. And you know what’s pleasantly surprising about it? No matter what ingredients are in your halo-halo, once you put that over ice and pour in a generous amount of milk, all the taste just. comes. together. perfectly. Most halo-halos are even topped with a scoop of ice cream and you can never go wrong with ice cream.
So basically halo-halo is everything good in this world, all in one bite.
2. It’s the perfect cure for the soul.
How can something this good not heal you???? Whatever that is, girl, just grab a spoon and dig in to that halo-halo. Let the dessert’s beautiful sweetness give you the healing that you needed.
Chicken soup for the soul? Pass. I’ll take halo-halo any day to cure my aching heart, thank you.
1. Halo-halo will always taste like home.
Why is it that when friends or family from abroad come home, they always have to have halo-halo sometime during their stay? As mentioned earlier, the halo-halo is a proudly Filipino dessert. Not only are the yummy ingredients commonly found in it are all familiar Filipino flavors we have grown up with and love; the memories tied to the desert are, for many, reminiscent to afternoon halo-halo sessions with family during your childhood.
Pinoys are sentimental creatures, so each time we dig in to a delicious cup of halo-halo, we are not just tasting good dessert. Each bite sends us off with sweet, nostalgic reminders of home, wherever in the world we are.
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Wishing you had halo-halo with you right now, yet? March 19 is National Halo-Halo Sarap Day, so if you found yourself relating in any way to the 5 reasons we wrote above, that is a sign you should come celebrate the festive day for the Philippine dessert with us.
Head on over to any Mang Inasal branch on March 19 for a special offering of their Pinoy Halo-Halo small for only P25! Regular size is also available at P45. Tell your favorite people about it; it’s time to catch up over our favorite dessert.
Do you love halo-halo too? Why? Tell us your stories in the comments!
