halo-halo special

summer is near...
weather so hot...
can't sleep well at night (except of course if you have aircon)

swim wears are now beautifully displayed at the mall...
trying to remind us our next summer escapade - Boracay, Puerto Galera, Cebu, etc.
air fares are now up... no more seat sales...

malls are now loaded with shoppers, trying to spend the very hot day inside the airconditioned mall...

and of course, streets are now loaded with entreprenuers selling pinoy favorite snacks during this season - HALO HALO ...

According to Wikipedia...

Halo-halo (from Tagalog word halo, "mix") is a popular Pinoy dessert that is a mixture of shaved ice and milk to which are added various boiled sweet beans and fruits, and served cold in a tall glass or bowl.

There is no specific recipe for this dessert, and a wide variety of ingredients are used. The order in which the ingredients are added varies widely. Primary ingredients generally include boiled red mung beans, kidney beans, garbanzos, sugar palm fruit (kaong), coconut sport (macapuno), and plantains caramelized in sugar. Other components may include jackfruit (langka), star apple, tapioca or sago, nata de coco, purple yam (ube) or sweet potato (kamote), sweetened corn kernels or pounded crushed young rice (pinipig), leche flan or custard, ice cream and gelatin. Other fruits, such as papayas, avocados, kiwifruit, bananas or cherries, may also be added. Some preparations also include ice cream on top of the halo-halo.

Generally, condensed milk or evaporated milk is used instead of fresh milk, due to the tropical climate of the Philippines.

In terms of arrangement, most of the ingredients (fruits, beans, and other sweets) are first placed inside the tall glass, followed by the shaved ice. This is then sprinkled with sugar, and topped with either (or a combination of) leche flan, ube halaya, or ice cream. Condensed milk is poured into the mixture upon serving.

What are you waiting for? Go to your neighborhood and find for yourself a very good halo-halo for you and be sure its extra special with two scoops of ice cream on top! Enjoy eating!