CEBU, Philippines - Everyone knows how refreshingly cool summer afternoons can be with a frozen treat - especially when the "frozen treat" in the form of the ever favorite halo-halo. Even a hot summer afternoon is sure to turn refreshingly cool.
But as stereotyped as the halo-halo is in playing the role of "ideal frozen treat," it is not the only dessert of its kind in the world. A number of the Philippines' neighbors also have their own versions and variations of the shaved-ice special.
Malaysia has Ais kacang, Korea has Patbingsu and Japan has Kakig?ri - all halo-halo's siblings, if you will.
Ais Kacang
Like halo-halo, Malaysia's "ais kacang" is made up of different ingredients - although its original preparation only included shaved ice and red beans.
Also popular in Singapore and in Brunei, the "ais kacang" is popularly referred to as "ABC" (in reference to air batu campur, which translates to "mixed ice"), and is commonly found in food courts, coffee shops and in hawker joints.
Current variants of "ais kacang" are often made with shaved ice, red beans, palm seeds and sweet corn, along with other ingredients like nata de coco and ice cream, topped with coconut milk, condensed milk or evaporated milk.
Patbingsu
As Korea's equivalent to the Philippines' halo-halo, the "patbingsu" is an incredibly popular shaved-ice dessert, traditionally made using shaved ice and red bean paste.
Contemporary versions of the treat includes a mix of chopped fruits, fruit syrup and condensed milk in their preparation, with known "patbingsu" variations made with different types of cereals, ice creams, nuts and whipped cream.
Though red bean paste is considered to be one of patbingsu's main ingredients, not all modern patbingsus are made with red bean paste - highlighting the flavors and textures of certain ingredients.
Popular contemporary patbingsu variations would include the yogurt bingsu and the nokcha bingsu or green tea bingsu.
Kakigori
Often found in festivals, coffee shops and in restaurants in Japan, the kakigori is characterized as a shaved ice dessert that's flavored with condensed milk and fruit syrup.
Like halo-halo, ais kacang and patbingsu, there are different kakigori variations - mostly identified by their flavors, which includes lemon, melon, grape, cherry, sweet plum, strawberry and more - even green tea.
Traditionally, kakigori's preparation only involved the use of shaved ice (usually shaved using hand-powered ice shavers), condensed milk and flavorings, but newer versions of the frozen treat are known to include sweetened red beans and ice cream as ingredients.