Halo-Halo — layered shaved-ice and ube dessert

i. Origin & history

Halo-halo evolved from the Japanese kakigōri brought to the Philippines in the early 20th century. The Filipino version absorbed local tropical fruits, ube, and the Spanish-inheritance leche flan to become the spectacularly layered dessert we know.

ii. Ingredients

Makes 4 servings · scroll the side panel to adjust

• 4 cups crushed ice
• 60 g sweetened red kidney beans
• 60 g sweet corn
• 60 g jackfruit, chopped
• 60 g coconut macapuno strips
• 60 g ube halaya (purple yam jam)
• 4 small leche flan portions
• 60 g sago pearls, cooked
• 60 g chickpeas, sweetened
• 200 ml evaporated milk
• 4 scoops ube ice cream
• 2 tbsp pinipig (toasted rice flakes)

iii. Method

1. In each tall glass, arrange the cooked beans, corn, jackfruit, macapuno, sago, chickpeas at the bottom in distinct piles.
2. Top with a slab of leche flan and a generous spoon of ube halaya.
3. Mound with crushed ice. Pour over 50 ml evaporated milk per glass.
4. Top each with a scoop of ube ice cream and a sprinkle of pinipig. Serve with a long spoon.

iv. Tips & common mistakes

• Use the freshest ingredients you can. The recipe relies on them.
• Read the method through first. Several steps must be ready in advance.
• Season patiently. Sweetness and salt are tuned at the end, not the start.

v. Variations

Maxim's halo-halo in Manila is the temple version. Modern halo-halo includes durian, mango, or matcha ice cream. Mango halo-halo is a simplified variant.

vii. More from Filipino

• Ais Kacang — Malaysian shaved ice
• Es Teler — Indonesian iced fruit dessert
• Bingsu — Korean shaved ice
• Kakigori — Japanese shaved ice
• Che Ba Mau — Vietnamese three-colour dessert
• Ube Ice Cream — Filipino purple yam