The dessert Halo-Halo, is known as one of Philippines most iconic specialties which brings out a sense of nostalgia and pride in most Filipinos. Halo-Halo is perfect for the summertime, but could also be eaten year round. This simple, yet complex shaved ice dessert consists of many ingredients with lots of bold and unique flavors. With the combination of these ingredients, it ultimately symbolizes Philippine culture and traditions. Furthermore, it reveals the histories of each ingredient, which shapes Filipino culture. Through this sweet dessert, it allows families to bond and people from all backgrounds to learn and experience something new. This dessert could act as a gateway to understanding Filipino culture by introducing this dessert through more restaurants and food festivals.

Some of the more unique ingredients found in Halo-Halo include; Adzuki beans, Kaong, Nata de Coco, Leche Flan, and Ube. These ingredients reflect Philippine history and influence from other cultures symbolized through a dessert. One of the most popular ingredients found in Halo-Halo is ube, which illuminates the iconic purple color of the dessert. The research article, Understanding the genetic diversity and population structure of yam (Dioscorea alata) using microsatellite markers, explains that ube, also known as Dioscorea alata, is considered “one of the major cultivated species with wide geographical distribution” (Arnau et al., 2017). Ube is a popular crop mostly seen in Southeast Asia, where it is primarily grown in the Philippines. As of 2019, the province Bohol, accounted for 35% of ube production in the Philippines (Hernandez 2021). In Halo-Halo, ube can be used in the form of ube halaya or ube ice cream. Ube halaya is another Filipino delicacy, which is considered to be a jam, with a thick pudding consistency made from boiled and mashed ube with the combination of sugar, butter, and coconut milk. This jam could be eaten on its own or added to other desserts including pastries, and in this case–Halo-Halo.

More unique ingredients that are found in Halo-Halo include kaong and nata de coco. Kaong is a fruit that comes from sugar palm trees (Arenga pinnata). Kaong is grown in the Philippines, but is also widely grown in both South Asia and Southeast Asia. This fruit is oval shaped and clear, with a chewy texture. You can find kaong sold in jars that are usually preserved in a sweet syrup. Often markets sell kaong in bright jewel-like tones, including different colors like red and green. The addition of this fruit gives Halo-Halo bold colors and textures, demonstrating the iconic features associated with this dessert. If we dive deeper into the sugar palm tree, studies reveal that they actually have many benefits for your health where it is said that it could be used in folk medicine (Asyraf et al., 2022). For example, “Palm sap can be used for indigestion, rashes and pulmonary irritation; in the Philippines, fermented palm sap is consumed to avoid tuberculosis. Sugar palm roots are believed to break down kidney and bladder stones when boiled with water” (Asyraf et al., 2022). This is significant because it shows how not only is kaong a unique ingredient in Halo-Halo, but it holds a deeper meaning in which the sugar palm tree played an important role in folk medicine used in Philippine culture. Nata de coco could also be found in jars at the store, which is essentially a coconut jelly fermented in coconut water. Moreover, nata de coco could be described as pale-white and almost translucent. According to the article  Development of Nata De Coco and Strawberry Flavored Nata De Coco Drink and Comparative Quality Evaluation, it explains “...first created in 1973 in the Philippines by attempting to preserve coconut water as a jelly-like substance. Its name comes from the Spanish term of the same name and means “cream of coconut” or ‘coconut milk skin’” (Sharmin et al., 2021).  Furthermore, it states, “Commercially made Nata De Coco was made by small farms in Thailand, Malaysia…especially in Laguna and Quezon” (Sharmin et al., 2021). From this, we could see that this ingredient is also commonly shared and made amongst other cultural regions. Both kaong and nata de coco could also be used as an ingredient in other dishes, including fruit salad and drinks. To reiterate, combining these jelly-like ingredients to the dessert, provides uniqueness but still carries history and influence in Filipino culture. 

The last ingredient that is notably one of the most fan-favorite ingredients included in Halo-Halo, is leche flan. This ingredient usually tops off Halo-Halo, adding the creaminess component to the dessert. Leche flan or milk custard, is a sweet and creamy dessert that consists of eggs, milk, condensed milk, evaporated milk, sugar, and vanilla extract. Leche flan could be traced back to Spanish colonization of the Philippines, in which the popular dessert was introduced by the Spaniards. Through leche flan, it demonstrates the multiple influences that shape Filipino culture. In Chapter 4 in Tikim: Essays on Philippine Food and Culture, it explains, “The Spanish influence entered from a position of ascendance; the food of the colonizer was deemed superior, urbane, ‘civilizing’, greatly to be desired, even through expensive and rich” (Fernandez 172). From this, leche flan became such a memorable dessert amongst Filipinos, where they are typically served at birthdays and celebrations. For example, whenever my family and I get together every Christmas, my grandpa serves leche flan as one of the desserts. Through this dessert, it brings families together and allows for memories to be formed and shared. Including leche flan in Halo-Halo not only adds to the flavor and texture of the dessert but it is an important ingredient that brings out the nostalgia in people who are enjoying this dessert. 

After diving deeper into the history behind some of the more unique ingredients found in Halo-Halo, I could conclude that this dessert symbolizes the multicultural history of the Philippines. In Week 3, we were provided with a supplemental website that highlighted where foods originated around the world. This chart is helpful in understanding the backgrounds of the ingredients used in Halo-Halo because it shows how other regions other than the Philippines also produce these same foods. Using this map could explain how this Filipino dessert has similarities to other Asian desserts as well. Moreover, the history of these ingredients reveals the importance of learning and understanding the Filipino culture. It’s often that many people are intimidated and overwhelmed to try new foods, especially if it's out of their comfort zone. The vibrant and colorful looks of Halo-Halo could either make people feel intrigued to try this dessert or it could also scare people away with the amount of ingredients it includes. In the Week 4 reading, How then shall we eat? Insect-eating attitudes and sustainable foodways, it explained that when it comes to the idea of eating insects, Western people tend to have negative attitudes and it ultimately causes problems (Looy et al. 2013). This reading stood out to me a lot because I appreciated how it proposed the idea of changing attitudes towards entomophagy. With this, it allows for people from different backgrounds to understand different cultures and food practices. This doesn’t necessarily mean that everyone has to “like'' some new food, but rather learn to acknowledge that it is part of someone's culture. I wanted to touch upon this topic and tie it to the idea of trying the dessert Halo-Halo, considering it has various ingredients that not many people may be familiar with. If there are places that sell Halo-Halo around non-Filipinos, they could use that opportunity to go and experience a taste of the iconic dessert. In the journal, Filipino Festivals in Southern California, it states, “At festivals, Filipinos eager to learn about Philippines culture can immerse themselves in cultural performances, try games and crafts, and discover food and products not typically found in their local stores” (Talusan 2021). For example, Talusan also mentions that people could try foods like lumpia, ensaymada, bibinka, and halo-halo. With these festivals, it allows people to immerse themselves in the Filipino culture. To add, it allows for Filipino families to bond over this dessert, in which it brings out nostalgia and memorable times. In the same article it states, “For over 100 years, Filipinos in the United States have been coming together in celebration with their families and communities to share food, music, dance, and games” (Talusan 2021). In my experience, Halo-Halo was the go-to summertime dessert growing up. Still to this day, it’s a dessert that brings out joy and happiness in my family and I whenever we go out and eat it. Last summer, my grandpa made a bunch of mini versions of Halo-halo for my family and I. This dessert could also be special for other Filipino families, where each recipe could be different in each household. 

Overall, the iconic Filipino dessert Halo-Halo, brings out pride and nostalgia in people and also demonstrates how Filipino culture was influenced and shaped by other cultures. This dessert can be seen through multiple perspectives, where people can learn to understand the history but also used as a way to appreciate the culture.