Ten Dishes That Taste Like Filipino Summer

For most Filipinos, the talk of summer evokes happy memories of frolicking on the beach, family reunions, and other celebrations highlighted with sumptuous food. Thus, there are certain dishes and drinks that reflect the sights, sounds, and smells of Filipino summer—and ten of them are listed below:

1. Halo-Halo

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Ah, there is nothing better that screams Filipino summer than halo-halo. In fact, it’s so good that it has actually become a year-round favorite!

You see, halo-halo combines ice, milk, jackfruit, bananas, ube or yam, beans, gelatin, pinipig or crushed young rice, and seasonal fruits such as melon or mango in one big bowl. It’s then topped with leche flan, and ice cream. The milky, fruity goodness can definitely beat the summer heat—and remind you of sweet memories.

2. Buko Pandan

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This is a favorite Filipino dessert. It’s also a fiesta staple. It’s an easy-to-make dessert made from pandan, and screwpine leaves, milk, buko (coconut meat,) and green gelatin. It has that gooey, milky, and gelatinous flair that makes for a perfect dessert.

With the sweet smell of pandan, this white and green concoction is definitely something you’d devour in a heartbeat! Yum!

3. Guinumis

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Guinumis is a toned-down version of the halo-halo that contains ice, milk, pinipig, tapioca pearls or sago, together with caramel syrup or arnibal! It’s sweet but not overwhelming, and it leaves a great flavor in your mouth that makes you want to have some more!

4. Sago’t Gulaman

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This drink is truly a summer staple. If you think about it, there’s probably a store in almost every street in the country that offer’s sago’t gulaman!

This drink combines sago, gulaman or flavored jelly, and arnibal to provide you with an affordable thirst- quencher that would always make you think of Philippine summer.

5. Sorbetes

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Mamang Sorbetero, anong ngalan mo, tinda mong ice cream, gustong gusto ko… So the old Filipino song goes! Sorbetes, also known as dirty ice cream—though nothing about it is dirty—is one of the best Filipino summer treats.

Sorbetes is an affordable alternative to expensive, branded ice cream. It comes in chocolate, ube, or cheese flavors that you can buy in one cone—and can even enjoy in a bun. The secret to its flavor is carabao’s milk—which makes eating sorbets an even more unique experience.

6. Saba con Hielo and Mais con Hielo

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Saba con hielo is a bowl of cold milk, crushed ice, and saging na saba or sweet plantain, while mais con hielo is a cup of crushed ice, cold milk, and sweet corn. These are both perfect for merienda or snacks, and definitely brings back a lot of childhood memories for many Filipinos.

7. Ice Scramble

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There’s always this certain joy that you’d feel when you see someone selling real, authentic ice scramble in the streets!

Basically, ice scramble, known locally as skrambol, is a mix of powdered milk, crushed ice, chocolate syrup, and your choice of flavor or sprinkles. It’s sugary sweet, and could really cool you down on a hot summer day.

8. Banana Cue

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Banana cue is also a delectable merienda staple. It’s a stick of sweetened plantains that are rolled in brown sugar. Choose those that are coated in hardened sugar and you’ll surely melt in the goodness!

9. Ice Candy

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Every summer, a lot of Filipino families get some extra income by selling their own version of ice candy—which is basically frozen fruits or fruit juice in a tube. Popular flavors include mango, avocado, chocolate, or even fruit salad—made from fruit cocktail and buko.

10. Buko Salad

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And last but not the least is buko salad.

This is a mix of buko or young coconut meat, with gelatin, kaong or sugar palm fruit, nata de coco or coconut gel, and condensed milk. Sometimes served in coconut shell, topped with a pretty mini paper umbrella, this dessert is something that will leave you in awe and would make you come back for more!

Summer in the Philippines is truly colorful. With food like the ones mentioned above, you can be sure that celebrating summer in the Philippines would always be a treat!