Guide to Desserts in the Philippines: Must-Try Filipino Sweets

If there's any nation in the world with the sweetest of sweet-tooths, they would have to be Filipinos. In the Philippines, sweet treats are enjoyed throughout the day, both as desserts and as snacks.

The local term for dessert in the Philippines is "pang himagas," but generally most Filipinos use the word "dessert" as well. Some Philippine desserts have become so iconic that they're also included in food tours especially for international travelers.

甘い歯の中で最も甘い国が世界にあるとしたら、彼らはフィリピン人でなければなりません。 フィリピンでは、デザートとしてもおやつとしても、一日中お菓子を楽しんでいます。 フィリピンでのデザートの現地語は「パンヒマガス」ですが、一般的にほとんどのフィリピン人は「デザート」という言葉も使用しています。 一部のフィリピンのデザートは非常に象徴的なものになっているため、特に海外旅行者向けのフードツアーにも含まれています。  

Just like with most of the Philippines' cuisine, Filipino desserts draw influences from China, Spain, America, Japan, and Islamic culture.

The Philippines did not have a pronounced dessert culture in the early days, but as the years went on, it became more fashionable to enjoy dessert after a meal. This why a lot of Filipino snacks have now been converted to desserts.

Filipinos enjoy a range of temperatures for their desserts, ranging from frozen, iced, room temperature, warm, and even hot. In a bit of irony, despite the Filipino penchant for sweet things, one of the most popular compliments one can give a dessert in the Philippines is, "it's not too sweet."

Here are just some of the most beloved desserts in the Philippines that you should try:

ほとんどのフィリピン料理と同じように、フィリピンのデザートは中国、スペイン、アメリカ、日本、そしてイスラム文化から影響を受けています。 フィリピンは当初、デザート文化があまりありませんでしたが、年月が経つにつれ、食後にデザートを楽しむことがよりファッショナブルになりました。 これが、今では多くのフィリピンのスナックがデザートに変わった理由です。 フィリピン人は、冷凍、氷、室温、暖かい、さらには熱いものまで、デザートのさまざまな温度を楽しんでいます。 少し皮肉なことに、フィリピン人は甘いものを好むにもかかわらず、フィリピンでデザートを与えることができる最も人気のある褒め言葉の1つは、「甘すぎない」です。 ここにあなたが試すべきフィリピンで最も愛されているデザートのほんの一部があります：  

Iced or Cold Philippine Desserts

As a warm and tropical country, it is only natural that the most popular desserts in the Philippines would be served cold. These are all very much loved, especially when the hot Philippine summers arrive:

アイスまたはコールドフィリピンのデザート 暖かくて熱帯の国であるため、フィリピンで最も人気のあるデザートが冷たく提供されるのは当然のことです。 特に暑いフィリピンの夏が来るとき、これらはすべて非常に愛されています：  

Halo-Halo

It could easily be considered as not only one of the kings of Filipino desserts but of the entire cuisine as well. Various sweetened fruits, beans, and jellies are topped with finely crushed ice and evaporated milk is poured over the top. Sometimes, it is also topped with ice cream.

The name halo-halo literally translates as "mix-mix," not only to describe the mix of sweet ingredients inside, but it also refers to the best way to enjoy the dessert. One is expected to use a spoon and mix everything thoroughly to fully enjoy the halo-halo experience.

There are hundreds of varieties of this dessert, the ingredients depending on the maker and the region they reside in. The Bicol variety, for example, has halo-halo topped with grated processed cheese, while a version in Iloilo uses ice made with coconut water, and a version in Pampanga uses only three ingredients.

ハロハロ フィリピンのデザートの王様の一人であるだけでなく、料理全体の王様の一人と簡単に考えることができます。 さまざまな甘くした果物、豆、ゼリーに細かく砕いた氷をトッピングし、その上に無糖練乳を注ぎます。 時々、アイスクリームをトッピングすることもあります。 ハロハロという名前は、文字通り「ミックスミックス」を意味し、中の甘い材料のミックスを表すだけでなく、デザートを楽しむための最良の方法も指します。 スプーンを使ってすべてを完全に混ぜ合わせて、ハロハロ体験を十分に楽しむことが期待されています。 このデザートには何百種類もの種類があり、材料はメーカーや居住地域によって異なります。たとえば、Bicolの種類では、ハロハロにすりおろしたプロセスチーズをトッピングしていますが、Iloiloのバージョンではココナッツウォーターで作った氷を使用しています。 、およびパンパンガのバージョンは3つの成分のみを使用します。  

Leche Flan

Milk, sugar, and eggs are steamed to make a luscious flan topped with caramel. Leche flan is very similar to the French creme caramel, but the Filipino version uses mostly egg yolks. The more traditional ones also have dayap (Philippine lime) zest in the flan. Some versions of the halo halo actually list leche flan as an ingredient.

Buco Pandan

Cubes of gelatin flavored with pandan leaves are mixed with young coconut strips and cream and then served either chilled or frozen. The combination of the fragrant pandan leaves and the subtle taste of coconut form an irresistible combination and it has made this dessert a regular in most feast or celebration menus.

Adding more ingredients like nata de coco (coconut jelly), sago (tapioca pearls) makes another variation of the dish called "buco salad." If you're too lazy to chew, there are also drink versions of buco pandan and buco salad, where fresh milk is added.

Mais Con Yielo, Saba Con Yielo & Sago't Gulaman

From the family of the halo-halo, these are her more simple cousins. Mais (corn kernels) or minatamis na saba (cardava bananas cooked in sugar) are topped with crushed ice. Evaporated milk is then poured over the top.

More and more crushed ice "cousins" have popped up, including mango, avocado, or even sweet potato cooked in sugar. Meanwhile, on the drink side, Sago't Gulaman is a crushed ice drink with brown sugar syrup, tapioca pearl and jello made from agar agar.

Sorbetes

Locals call it "dirty" ice cream, but it is purely a name that just caught on. Locally made ice cream, which traditionally uses carabao's (buffalo's) milk are being sold from rolling ice cream carts going around the streets all over the country.

Very affordable, one normally orders a small cone and the sorbetero (ice cream vendor) will fill it with 7-9 small scoops of ice cream, usually in 3 flavors. Of particular note is the cheese ice cream, a salty-sweet combination of sweet cream and chunks of salty processed cheddar cheese.

Go full local by ordering the Filipino ice cream sandwich, where scoops of sorbetes are placed in a hamburger bun (yes, you read that correctly).

Avocado/Mango Milk

This isn't a dessert you can get in restaurants, but millions of Filipino households enjoy it. Cold (or sometimes frozen) chunks of fresh avocado or mango are placed in a glass and fresh milk is poured into it.

Then, a spoon is used to smash the fruit and mixed with the milk to form a chunky, milky treat. While it will not blaze a culinary trail in fine dining restaurant, hardly any Filipino can resist this treat from their childhood.

Philippine Mango

This fruit certainly deserves its own spot on this list. Forget what you know about mangoes. Whichever mango you've had before, it will pale in comparison to the ones from the Philippines.

The tender flesh is super sweet and its flavors make it great enjoyed cold on its own, as a juice or as a puree served with tapioca, called mango sago. Of particular note are the mangoes from the Guimaras region. When those are in season, eating those mangoes is like eating candy.