Beat the summer heat with these favorite Pinoy treats

Aside from the iconic halo-halo, the streets are not lacking in cheap treats to ward off the summer heat.

The best thing about Pinoy comfort food is that it need not be expensive or hard to find. In fact, almost any time of the year you will see these cold treats everywhere – from sidewalks and alleys to shopping malls.

Ice Scramble. Also referred to as iskrambol, this is made from crushed ice mixed with skimmed milk and sago (tapioca), frothed and drizzled with chocolate or strawberry syrup. Call it a cheap version of milkshake but ice scramble evokes childhood memories ever since it got popular in the 80s. It is definitely making as comeback; notice the numerous ice scramble stalls you see in malls.

'Sago’t Gulaman'. Tapioca is probably the most overused ingredient in Pinoy street food. Produced with a mixture of water, tapioca, brown sugar, vanilla extract then chilled with ice cubes, this is a no-frills substitute to softdrinks. You can find it almost anywhere even in MRT stations.

'Samalamig'. Technically, sago's gulaman should be under this category (although it deserves special mention). When you say samalamig (malamig in Filipino means cold), you are referring to different variations (or flavors) of cold drinks found in ubiquitous plastic containers. You either drink it straight from the glass or in plastic ice bags for a convenient take-out treat.

Sidewalk 'salad bars'. The best thing about being in a tropical country is the abundance of fruits especially during summer. And this being the Philippines, these are naturally sliced and sold tingi-tingi. Food carts make for a traveling salad bar – you have sliced watermelon, ripe or green mango, melon and even sugarcane.

Or, mixed with some crushed ice or and syrup, vendors can turn these into instant fruit shakes. If you wish, you can take your pick of fruits, add some milk or cream and you have an instant fruit salad in a cup.
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