Halo-halo

Halo-halo is a Filipino cold dessert built from layers of sweetened ingredients over shaved ice, topped with evaporated milk and ice cream. The name is Tagalog for "mix-mix", and the dish is stirred together before it is eaten.

What it really is

Halo-halo is made by filling a tall glass with sweetened saba bananas, sweetened red beans, sweet white beans, coconut strips (macapuno or nata de coco), jackfruit, palm seed (langka or kaong), leche flan, and purple yam (ube) halaya. Shaved ice is packed on top, then evaporated milk is poured over it and a scoop of ice cream, often ube or vanilla, is set on the crown. The ingredients are not blended in advance; the diner mixes the glass with a spoon.

It differs from similar Southeast Asian iced desserts such as ais kacang or es campur in its layering of a custard, a purple yam paste and a range of sweetened beans and fruits under a dome of shaved ice. Versions vary by region and by vendor, and the list of additions is not fixed.

How it's served

• Served cold in a tall glass or bowl, with a long spoon.
• Eaten after mixing the layers with the spoon, so each mouthful carries ice, beans, fruit and custard.
• Often sold as a merienda or summer snack, and at street stalls and fast-food counters.
• Evaporated milk is poured over the top at the table, and sometimes sweetened condensed milk is offered separately.

How to write it on the menu

• Name the main components: shaved ice, sweetened beans, jackfruit, saba banana, leche flan, purple yam, evaporated milk and ice cream.
• Flag MILK and EGGS: evaporated milk, leche flan and ice cream all carry them.
• State the ice cream flavour (ube or vanilla are the usual choices) and whether the ice cream is dairy.
• Say whether the dish is made with fresh or pre-packed ingredients and whether it is served with or without the leche flan.