Going hot over chili ice cream

Legazpi City, Albay, Philippines  — It came smoothly down the throat with a hot finish. Taking another teaspoon, I was circumspect. The pink delicatessen that Bicolanos call "Chili Ice Cream" is indeed a chill and an ice cream.

"How about dessert?" my co-faculty Ritchie asked me as though I didn't have my fill of a heavy lunch. But before I could object, Ritchie put down his fork and waved his hand to a waiter who came swiftly with pad and pen ready to take the additional order. "Give me three scoops. One chili, one calamansi, one coffee," he told the waiter with cupped palms facing downwards. I gulped a breath, thinking the scoops might come the size of his palms.

Ritchie Asagra teaches journalism at Bicol University. He had asked me to do a recording with him for a radio plug and suggested having lunch first. Having had my fill of fish fillet and kare-kare, I thought I had enough and worried that I might burp like a cow during recording. But obviously, Ritchie reserved the surprise for last until the three "Cs" that is a scoop of chili, a scoop of calamansi and a scoop of coffee ice cream was served in a chalice. Obviously the chili was the one in pink with the topping of two pieces of chili that looked like horns.

Downing his food, he cleared his throat first before saying, "Help yourself," Ritchie wasn't quite done yet with lunch as we chatted about faculty and student concerns. I also teach journalism at BU.

Made of the usual ice cream ingredients like milk and sugar, Chili Ice Cream is added with "sili labuyo" meaning the kind of pepper that's really "hot." First Colonial Grill, the only food establishment in Bicol that makes the specialty, said they came up with chili ice cream to offer Bicolanos and tourists more memories than volcanoes and typhoons. The ice cream comes out with a smooth and fine finish because it is not made from an ice cream maker but with a mixer that is manually done.

Other First Colonial Grill unique concoctions are calamansi ice cream served in yellow, coffee ice cream and totong ice cream served in khaki brown. "Totong" is toasted rice that is often used as substitute for coffee. When done as ice cream, roasted rice makes ice cream an even more delightful experience.

In Half Gallons.

For tourists who want to bring the specialty flavoured ice cream as hand-carried luggage to Cebu, you would have to make sure there are no flight cancellations. First Colonial Grill said they package the ice cream in half gallons and is encased in a salt-lined ice box that would retain its creaminess from the time you wait for your flight and arrive in Cebu one hour later. Half a gallon is P300.00. 

Ritchie put down his fork and poised a teaspoon for dessert only to find the mound of scoops turn into melted lava. I knew it was not a nice way to treat a host. "How about taking a picture, Ritchie?" hoping it would assuage his frustration at not having dessert. The head waiter at First Colonial Grill gave another set of fresh scoops as the pictorial on this page was done. Ritchie patiently reached for his cellphone beside his plate and took the photos. You would have to come to Legazpi City to know the chilling experience of going hot over chili ice cream. (FREEMAN)