Now that Fall is upon us, I thought I’d share a great summer treat, sure to keep you cool as the mercury begins it’s downward spiral towards Winter. Okay, this is more than a little late in the season, but that’s no excuse not to eat something yummy, I figure.

So what is this foodstuff I’m ranting about? Halo-halo! No, not that Halo, dumbass - halo-halo is a common dessert eaten throughout the Philippines - halo-halo is a tagalog word that means mix-mix. The beauty of halo-halo is that although there are a few basic ingredients common to all halo-halo, the exact components of halo-halo are up to you…hence mix-mix!

To make halo-halo, you’ll need:

shaved ice
condensed, sweetened milk

That’s it! Well, for the common ingredients anyway. A true halo-halo is a mixture of tropical fruit and something starchy, usually red mung beans or kidney beans, and maybe even corn. For the fruit, young coconut (gelatin coconut) meat cut into cubes, plantain slices, mango, ube (purple yam), lychee, or any other light fruit can be used. Simply add the ingredients in layers at the bottom of a tall glass, top with shaved ice, and pour the condensed milk over the whole mess. Let the milk settle a little and eat!

If you have a decent Asian grocery store in your area, there’s a better-than-even chance that they have ready-made halo-halo mix in a jar. Just add the ice and condensed milk, and you’re good to go.