Kwentong Palayok: Halo-halo, more than a sweet dessert

Bananas and leche flan. Mashed beans, corn and carabao milk pastillas. Topped with ube halaya and ice cream? How do you like your halo-halo?

Halo-halo Credit: Alina R. Co

Key Points

• Halo-halo is a Filipino dessert typically made with sweetened white beans, fruits, • pinipig, and jellies, topped with milk, leche flan, and purple yam jam.
• Halo-halo’s origin can be traced to the pre-war Japanese who lived in the Philippines • who made kakigori, • a Japanese shaved iced dessert flavoured with syrup and a sweetener, often condensed milk and mongo-ya, which consisted of shaved ice, milk, and sweetened red azuki beans.
• Mix Mix is a Filpino-owned food truck that serves halo-halo, among other icy and colorful treats.

*Kwentong Palayok is SBS Filipino’s podcast series focused on Filipino food, its origins and history, and its evolution both in the homeland and Australia.