Cool Pinoy Delicacies for Hot Summer

Every year, our country experience its summer season which lasts from March to June. During this period, the sun always shines from morning till afternoon. The scorching heat of the sun waves down everywhere you go. That is why Filipinos are finding their ways to relieve the heat of the sun. Some of the ways includes their mode of clothing, summer outing in resorts, nature trip in highlands, mountains and woods and even taking a cold bath.

Aside from these ways, we can relieve the heat of summer by simply taking food and drinks for refreshment. It helps us to quench our thirst, avoid us from dehydration, and relieve us from the sizzling heat of summer. The most common and simple way is drinking cold water and iced-cold beverages like fruit juice, soft drinks, and fruit shakes. From water and beverages, there are famous Filipino delicacies during summer. These delicacies are not just only thirst quenchers or summer coolers, but it can satisfy your appetite.

The popular summer delicacy in the Philippines, halo-halo with its colorful and sweet ingredients mixed with ice.

Halo-halo is one of the most popular summer delicacies in the Philippines. It is made of crushed ice, evaporated milk, sugar, sweetened beans, mongos, bananas, sweet potatoes, pinipig, gelatin, sago, garbansos, kaong and ube. Sometimes, macapuno, leche flan, melon, langka, and ice cream can also add sweetness to the ingredients. Aside from the sweet ingredients, the colorful layers of halo-halo and the creamy and delicious taste of the mixed ingredients makes your eating enjoyable and delightful.

From halo-halo, we also have two “con yelo or con hielo” (meaning “with ice”) specials which can be found in streets or small stores. First, “saging con yelo” or banana and ice and “mais con yelo” or corn and ice. It is made up of crushed ice, evaporated milk, sugar, sweetened bananas, or kernel corn. It is similar with halo-halo in terms of creamy and delicious taste. Also it is the same in manner of eating, by simply crushing the ice and mixes it with the solid ingredients when the ice melts down in order to experience the sweet and creamy taste of these delicacies. These three delicacies can be served with spoon and glass or cup. Ice crumble is similar with shake which is made of crushed ice and flavored drink and it can be topped with chocolate syrup and milk powder and just simply served it with straw in order to drink it.

Ice candy is considered as the most favorite dessert of Filipino children during summer. It has different flavors that you can chose from such as chocolate, buko, mango, orange, melon, or other fruit flavors. It is made from instant drinks or fruit shakes that it takes twelve hours to keep in freezer to made it.

Buko salad is a common dessert during occasions here in the Philippines.

Buko salad, buko pandan and fruit salad are not just only prepared and become the favorite in some celebrations. Nowadays, it can be sold in streets by retail. It is also considered as a summer delicacy due to its creamy ingredients and cold but delicious taste while you are eating.

The palamig or samalamig is a homemade drink which has different flavors. It is an ideal thirst quencher  and it can be commonly sold in the streets.

Another Pinoy delicacy is the “palamig” or “samalamig”. It is a homemade drink and you can chose from different flavors like sago’t gulaman, a variety of samalamig made from sago (tapioca pearl) and gulaman (gelatin) which is a famous street food, a snack drink and a thirst quencher and other flavors like buko pandan and lemonade. We also have the buko juice made from fresh coconut juice and it is a perfect thirst quencher. Aside from it is sold in streets, it is also found in some coconut trees in woods and mountains. Just simply climb the coconut tree, get the fruit and drink its fresh juice.

Ice cream is one of the most popular summer delicacies in the Philippines.

If you saw a wooden cart with colorful designs and two larger wheels and if you heard the ringing of a bell from “Mamang Sorbetero” of course you had an idea what dessert is sold. It is the all-time favorite dessert, the ice cream. The Americans introduced ice cream in our country since 1900’s. In the Philippines it is locally known as “sorbetes” which is peddled by sorbeteros with the help of their wooden cart which usually accommodate with three flavors inside the canisters. Some of the all-time favorite flavors are Chocolate, Double Dutch, Cookies and Cream, Strawberry, Coffee, Rocky Road, Pistachio and others, Filipinos love these flavors so much. We also have our local version which is made from carabao milk or coconut milk and you can chose from local flavors like ube (purple yam), macapuno, ube macapuno, mango, cheese, avocado, pastillas, buko salad, and tsoknut or chocolate and peanut. Nowadays, there are new existing flavors of ice cream like chili, calamansi, and malunggay. Ice cream or sorbetes can be served with cones, small plastic cup, in bowls or even a spread in bread buns. It can also be sold in gallons of ice cream to serve the guests in private gatherings or celebrations.

These Pinoy summer delicacies are “cool” due to delicious ingredients, unique way of serving, and cold temperature within the food. Although, there are some issues like expensive price and the cleanliness of the food you buy due to exposure in the streets beside of its affordable price, the most important thing is to enjoy the eating experience, to taste the Filipino delicacy, and relieve you from the heat of tropical summer in the Philippines. Tara Let’s Eat!


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