Halo-Halo: Favourite dessert of the Philippines

To cool off in the tropical heat, Philippines locals do one of three things: head for the nearest air-conditioned mall, dip into a swimming pool, or indulge themselves with a cup of their favourite ice-cold Halo-halo. It’s a Filipino dessert classic that warms the hearts of many with glowing pride and nostalgia, and is an absolute must-try when visiting the country.

This icy treat is known for its flavorful taste, and has a rich history that dates back to the pre-war Japanese period. While its Filipino name means ‘mix-mix’ in English, this favourite shaved ice dessert was introduced to the Filipinos by the Japanese settlers. According to historians, the Japanese had sweet desserts called ‘Mitsumame‘ or ‘mongo con hielo‘ and ‘kakigori’ which closely resemble the Filipinos’ Halo-halo.

The Japanese Mitsumame is an icy refreshment which has lots of monggo beans as the main ingredient. According to historical accounts, Nippon immigrants (who were also found to be part of the Nippon Army) were its proprietors and after they introduced the dessert, locals made variations by adding fruit preserves and custards. The cheapest order at that time was priced at 1 kusing or 1 centavo.

But according to a historian named Ambeth Ocampo, Halo-halo was inspired by a different Japanese sweet treat called kakigori, which is an ice-shaved dessert sweetened with condensed milk. Japanese farmers brought over the kakigori and added monggo, red, and kidney beans into the refreshment – hence, they later called it ‘mong-ya.‘

During that time, Filipinos were only beginning to familiarize themselves with ice cream and frozen treats as there was limited supply of ice before the Americans built the Insular Ice Plant. Thus, there was a positive reception towards the Japanese dessert. On the other hand, the Japanese settlers saw it as an opportunity to earn profit and soon, a number of places selling ‘mong-ya’ became a hit in the Metro Manila area. While the Japanese settlers left after World War II, the Filipinos took hold of the dessert’s popularity and adapted it to suit their preferences – for instance, adding ube jam or ube ice cream to the concoction.

Since then, Halo-halo has become one of the Philippines’ best comfort food dishes. Apart from the ice-shaved dessert mixed with condensed milk and monggo beans, some variations of the dessert make use of sago, nata de coco, pinipig, sweetened banana, macapuno (coconut sport), and leche flan (caramel custard). In some places, they even add cheese, cornflakes, polvorón or chili into the sweet mixture. Indeed, recipes for Halo-halo vary widely, depending on your preferences or a locality’s specialty.

Read more: Taste the most popular desserts in the Philippines

Source The Culture Trip

Kare kare, dish that you have to try in the Philippines

While in the Philippines, you will have likely tasted lechon as well as traditional dishes and comfort food like sinigang and adobo. Perhaps you have challenged yourself to eat balot (unfertilized duck egg) and dinuguan (blood stew). But before you leave the country, you might as well taste and enjoy one classic Filipino dish – kare kare.

What is kare kare?

Kare kare is a stew of beef, tripe, oxtail, and ham hock in thick peanut sauce mixed with different vegetables such as eggplant, pechay (Chinese cabbage), string beans, and banana blossom. This dish is served with shrimp paste called bagoong to add flavor to the mild-tasting peanut sauce. Today’s version of kare kare uses peanut butter. With its thick sauce, it only means it has to be eaten with steaming hot rice.

Slow cooked until meat is tender, with the ham hock having a gelatinous texture, the vegetables should remain softened, resulting in some restaurants serving the vegetables on the side rather than mixing it all together. It has an orange color, a result of annatto.

An interesting history of kare kare

Will it come as a surprise that “kare kare” comes from the word, “curry”? Word repetition is the Malay style connoting something faux-like (or “something like [object]”). Thus, kare kare is a faux-like version of curry. After all, kare kare doesn’t resemble any Indian curry dish, except for its orange color.

Unbeknownst to many, the British briefly occupied Manila from 1762-1764 bringing with them 500 Indian soldiers, known as Sepoys. When the British withdrew, the Indian soldiers deserted and remained in the Philippines. They successfully assimilated to Philippine society and married local women, eventually settling in Pasig, Taytay, and Cainta.

These Indian settlers then introduced kaikaari, a saucy dish of vegetables and oxtail. Since curry was not available in the Philippines at that time, the Indians used local ingredients like peanut and annatto.

Kare kare and the birth of Filipino-style eateries

The cultural role of kare kare in Philippine cuisine extends to the birth of roadside eateries known as karenderias. Cainta and Taytay are pilgrimage towns, and these former Sepoys set up roadside stalls, serving “kaari” to devotees on their way to their pilgrimage to Antipolo.

Pilgrims would dine along the way first to these “kaarihans” where curry is served. Later, “eria” was added following the Spanish grammar. Hence, “karenderia” means a place where there is “kaari.” At present, all towns in the Philippines have karenderias (also spelled as karinderia or carinderia) or small eateries along the streets serving affordable meals.

Different versions of kare kare

Kare kare itself evolved from the classic recipe with new variants such as seafood and even “crispy” kare kare. Some recipes use oxtail and beef, some only used pork. In Pampanga where the modern recipe was first introduced, it is served during fiestas and special occasions taking pride in cooking authentic kare kare – cooking its peanut-based sauce from scratch.

There are many dishes you must try before temporarily saying paalam to the Philippines, but kare kare is available all over the country, served in most Filipino family restaurants. Kare kare is not an everyday home-cooked meal in the Philippines due to the level of difficulty and meticulous preparation of its different ingredients. That is why this dish is a bestseller among many restaurants – most Filipinos can only have kare kare when dining in a restaurant. So the next time you dine in a Filipino restaurant, ask for a serving of kare kare.

See more: Explore typical breakfast in the Philippines

Source Internet

6 Filipino gestures you need to know

In Filipino culture, the use of body language and hand gestures are very common in daily communication. If you are going to travel to the Philippines, you would want to familiarize yourself with these common gestures to avoid any misunderstanding.

1, Beso-beso (Cheek to cheek)

This gesture was previously only common among members of high society. Eventually, show business in the Philippines picked up on it and it has now become a routine greeting among Filipino women. While some women are comfortable practising beso-beso with their male friends, it is not generally acceptable to do this gesture to someone you have met for the first time.

2, Pagmamano (Bless)

In the Philippines, showing respect for one’s elders is a tradition that has been preserved for generations. The ‘honouring-gesture’ called pagmamano involves a younger person asking for an elder’s hand and gently touching their own forehead with it while bowing. The practice is common whenever someone visits relatives or meets their godparents.

3, Nodding and raising eyebrows with a smile

This is one way of how Filipinos greet each other in a casual and quick way, acknowledging that you saw that person. This gesture is sometimes followed with a friendly tap in the shoulder if they are within reach.

4, Mouth open

Opening your mouth wide is not just a dentist’s order or an indication of a person being surprised. It can also mean that the person you are talking to didn’t understand or properly hear what you just said. A mouth wide open gesture is a nonverbal way of asking: “What did you say?”

5, Silent looks

Usually, when Filipino parents give this fiery-eyes-silent-look to their child, it automatically means that the child should stop whatever he is doing. This is one way of Filipino parents to warn or control their children in public without negatively catching many people’s attention.

6, Handshaking

As in most countries, handshaking is a default gesture among Filipinos when meeting someone for the first time. While both men and women greet each other through handshaking, it is usually the person being introduced who first offers their hand. In some cases, men have to wait for women to offer their hand first.

Source Internet