Filipino Desserts: Products Of A Mixed Culture

The Filipinos are naturally charming and friendly people. These traits are believed to be influenced by their fondness for desserts. Indeed, their sweet nature can be seen through their fetish for saccharine foods.

Since the Philippines is home to various cultures, it wouldn’t come as a surprise to know that it has some of the most delicious cuisine in the world. Filipinos also use a variety of cooking techniques when preparing Filipino meals and Filipino desserts.

Coconut milk is typically an important ingredient of most Filipino delicacies. In fact, local specialties, from meat, to vegetables, are never complete without it. Filipino desserts mostly contain coconut milk as well. In fact, the best and the most popular ones have coconut in them.

The country offers a rich and colorful collection of Filipino desserts, some of which are known all over the world. Halo-halo, a term derived from the Tagalog word “halo”, which means “mix”, is famous in other countries as well. It is prepared by combining several ingredients together, such as, shaved ice, sugar, different fruits and beans, and milk. Halo-halo does not follow a “strict” recipe. People can actually use different ingredients, depending on their personal preferences. Further, the process of mixing the ingredients differs as well. However, in most occasions, the halo-halo is served prior to mixing. It comes in a tall glass, with the crushed ice topping all the other ingredients.

The leche flan is among the well-known Filipino desserts, and is considered to be a classic one. This consists of egg yolk, milk, vanilla essence, and sugar, and makes use of steam to cook. Leche flan looks like your basic custard, but one which comes with caramel syrup. Some people consider it to be in the same category as the crème brulee.

Pudding is another big thing in Filipino desserts. Known locally as “bibingka”, it is prepared using the following ingredients: ground rice, coconut milk, and sugar. This Filipino version of pudding is baked inside an oven made of clay, and is generally wrapped in banana leaves when sold.

There a several other fantastic Filipino desserts left to be discovered by non-locals. Some are available in every part of the country, while others can only be found in certain areas. Fresh fruits are abundant, and are considered Filipino desserts as they are. But once you’re in the Philippines, fruits won’t be the only desserts which will capture your taste buds.