MANILA, Philippines — Bits of fruits and burnt coconut dance perfectly well with the creamy texture of carabao milk in tubs of a limited-edition gelato series that features flavors of Mindanao.
A scoop of Mindanaon Gelato Series' Burnt Coconut features real burnt coconut bits. Its smoked flavor is a contrast to the creamy feel of the ice cream on the tongue.
If one has a craving for Zamboanga's famous Halo-halo ice cream called "Knickerbocker" by many, then the Knicker gelato is the next best alternative. It has chunky bits of banana and strands of mango, creating a profusion of sweet and a bit tangy ice cream.
Sulu Coffee is arguably among the strongest coffees in the country, with its heavy aroma inducing memories of early morning toasts and sunrises. This sensory experience is recreated in the limited-edition gelato series.
Chefs EJ Buenaflor of Karabella and Miggy Cabel Moreno of Palm Grill know how to churn out the best of Mindanao's flavors in their collaboration for the gelato series.
Moreno said to Philstar.com in an exclusive email interview that the collaboration between his family's Palm Grill and Karabella took three months to create the three initial flavors launched today, June 12, in time for the 126th commemoration of the Philippine Independence Day.
"My purpose is to introduce a new and fun way to discover the flavors of Southern Mindanao that has never been done before," said Moreno.
Moreno's family hails from Zamboang and Sulu. Together with his mother Melissa and brother King, they run restaurants in the Manila that highlight the flavors of Mindanao: Palm Grill offers food from the ZamBaSulTa (Zamboanga, Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi) region; Cabel, formerly Casa Roces in Malacanang that serves traditional Filipino food with some ZamBaSulTa dishes; and a stall of Palm Grill in Gateway 2.
As a proud Mindanaoan, Moreno has made it his mission to introduce the flavors of his childhood to other parts of the country.
"I also wanted to elevate these flavors because I am extremely proud of my Tausug heritage that has fought many battles to preserve an identity that is still very evident in their way of cooking and life, which, for me, is truly Filipino," he added.
His collaboration with Karabella's Buenaflor was already at the back of his head for quite some time. It is part of his plans since opening the first Palm Grill in Tomas Morato in 2017.
A tub of Sulu Coffee and Burnt Coconut is sold at P490 each, while the Knicker is at P500. They can also be had per scoop at both Palm Grill Morato and Palm Grill Araneta branches for P190 per scoop.
Sulu Coffee, Burnt Coconut and Knicker gelatos will be available until September or until there is a demand for them, said Moreno.
"I wanted to elevate the Mindanaoan flavors, and the only way to do it is to create a gelato series rather than a regular ice cream. My dream and goal is to see it in supermarkets in the near future," Moreno ended.
The chef also teased that the three flavors possibly would not be the last of his upcoming collaborations, which will focus on flavors from his beloved south.
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