02/05/2026
Digital Arts and Designs No. 48: Halo-halo
As May is traditionally considered the hottest month in the Philippines, people will find ways to cool off; such as going and chilling to rather cold establishments such as malls, swimming in beaches or bodies of freshwater, or simply eating cold foods. One of these cold foods that is popular across all age groups is Halo-halo, literally meaning "mix-mix" in English.
This icy mélange of sweet ingredients such as Leche Flan and Minatamis, combined with various beans such as red mung beans and white beans would give a refreshing and delicious experience in eating local food. Although based on the Japanese Kakigōri that the Japanese émigré brought in the country more than a hundred years ago to also beat the heat, locals decided to adopt this shaved ice dessert and change it to suit local tastes by adding, changing, and removing certain ingredients, thus not all Halo-halos are the same as some people would have their own twists to the classic dessert.
Halo-halo and Kakigōri are not the only shaved ice desserts in East and Southeast Asia, as other countries do have their own shaved ice desserts, such as Ais Kacang in Malaysia, Es Campur and Es Teler in Indonesia, Namkhaeng Sai and O-aew in Thailand, Tshuah-ping in Taiwan, and Bingsu in Korea.
In this graphic below, I decided to depict Halo-halo with the ingredients that are commonly seen in the dish itself. These ingredients are the ingredients that in my opinion, would make a traditional Halo-halo.
