PH sorbetes, halo-halo among world's 'best frozen desserts'
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 1) — Two iconic Filipino snacks have been included in the world's top 50 "best frozen desserts," a food and lifestyle website said Wednesday.
The Filipino 'sorbetes' ranked fifth overall while 'halo-halo' took the 43rd spot in Taste Atlas' latest ranking of 50 best frozen desserts as of May 2023.
Sorbetes was beaten only by American 'frozen custard' at fourth, Turkish 'dondurma' at third, Peruvian 'queso helado' at second, and Iranian 'bastani sonnati' which was named the top dessert.
Taste Atlas described sorbetes as a popular Filipino ice cream produced of carabao milk typically flavored with mango, chocolate, cheese, coconut, and ube.
"Although it sounds similar to a sorbet, coming from the Spanish sorbete, it is not a sorbet, but a dirty ice cream, as the locals jokingly call it due to the fact that it is sold along polluted streets," it said.
Meanwhile, it described halo-halo as a summer dessert of mixed fruit and beans which often includes "bananas, jackfruit, coconut, sweet potatoes, red mung beans, chickpeas, sugar palm fruit, purple yam jam, leche flan, and – in recent times – even sweet corn or corn crisps."
Taste Atlas explained that the dessert was sold by Japanese vendors "before the occupation of the Philippines in the 1940s."
It added that halo-halo could have been inspired by 'anmitsu,' a Japanese summer drink of shaved ice.
Filipino cuisine and its local fares have also been recognized by Taste Atlas, with some hailed as the best dishes worldwide, and others regarded among the worst.
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