This is one of those articles that – like a good halo-halo – is thoughtfully composed bit by bit. Starting from its fascinating origins, Anson details the evolution, a misguided re-imagining, and the “great mix” that make up this beloved iced treat. – Lori
The halo-halo has been so much a part of the local food scene today, that we tend to think that it must?ve always been there. But if you think about it, how could we have halo-halo during the Spanish colonial period when there were no refrigerators" There were no ice plants back then, as the Spaniards didn?t believe in having drinks with ice, due to their belief that drinking ice would shorten one?s life. How did they cool their drinks back then" They used saltpeter (made from bat dung), an ingredient for gun powder.
This didn?t mean that there was no ice in the Philippines during this era. During the 1800s, ice was imported to the Philippines from the U.S. They were harvested from frozen ponds and lakes during winter, such as Wenham Lake in the state of Massachusetts, shipped to places as far as India, China, Australia, and the Philippines. According to food writer and author, Felice Prudente Sta. Maria, the ice blocks were sold not in grocery stores, but from hardware stores They were used primarily to make ice cream or to keep a wooden ice box (the precursor of the modern refrigerator) chilled. But ice was so expensive back then it was considered a luxury rather than a necessit...