10. Sans Rival – that superbly rich, over-the-top and pain-in-the-rear dessert that you just love to hate squeezed into the Top 10. I can’t imagine that many folks make this at home from scratch…I tried and swore more times than I do on an average day… I still have a post and photos somewhere in my files and maybe I will put that up soon. Delicious but deadly. A nice way to round out the Top 10.
9. Buko Pandan – I grouped into here votes for buko pandan salad and buko salad. Essentially the creaminess, flavor and texture of buko strips and the fragrance and color of pandan have made this a recent (say last 20-30 years) favorite. At restaurants it is almost always one of the featured desserts and actually, it is incredibly easy to make and very satisfying to eat.
8. Pastillas de Leche – Not surprised by this at all. I recently made this from scratch and realize why it is so important to have a trusted and consistent source…better to buy it than futz with it as a novice. Well made and fresh, this is heaven. So simple, and yet so delicious. I like mine with a hint of dayap rind to cut the richness of the boiled down carabao milk and sugar.
7. Guinataan/Benignit – There are many versions of this across the country which alter the things floating in the hot sweet soup but this is a COMFORT dessert for sure. Many folks specified bilo-bilo but I prefer more bananas, thanks. Poorly made, this can taste like stewed fruit in drying Elmer’s glue, but done right it is sublime. I totally agree with its relatively high ranking. Also conjures warm memories from gatherings as it is generally made in big batches or when there are lots of folks around…
6. Bibingka – Filipino Christmas would not be complete for me without a good bibingka. That is how much I associate food with the holiday. Though I used to eat this year round until I got so rotund, I like mine without the sharp saltiness of the duck egg and more as a sweet treat. I bought a traditional pot for charcoal with the intention of making this myself but haven’t gotten around to it. Will need to do that before this Christmas… I also need to look into its relationship with the Goan Bebinca from India…
5. Haleya/Jaleya Ube – Whoa!!! Number 5?! I thought I was the only lunatic who had a soft spot for this concoction which was a frequent though special feature of my mother’s kitchen. If ube arrived from her hometown in Bohol, she inevitably made haleya that was rather pale… I have written about ube jaleya before…and even got a response from one the sisters at Good Shepherd regarding the non-use of artificial color in their jams…
4. Turon – Yes, definitely a top 5 Pinoy dessert. I love this and can eat it at least once a week. I like them smaller while others like the bigger versions and the ones with a touch of langka. For me they have to be hot. I once experimented with turon (adding butter, white sugar, brown sugar, palm sugar, inside and out, smaller and larger, long cuts and disks, with chocolate and nuts) and returned to the original…it was still the best!
3. Suman – Here I grouped all types of suman mentioned whether plain rice, made with lihiya, etc. Essentially, it was too scattered to leave the different versions as separate entries. I actually prefer budbud kabog but a plain rice one with ginger flavoring is also a must a few times a year. And yes, it is very well paired with a nice ripe mango. Our cook and crew are expert suman makers and I have tons of photos but never got around to posting the recipe which is very unstructured…
2. Halo-halo – No surprise here. I, too, love halo-halo and we do this at home at least 5-6 times a year. We once had a whole group of vegetarians from the U.S. East Coast at the beach and after feeding them a vegetarian lunch, we whipped out a halo-halo buffet for them and they were so bowled over they continue to mention it years after the fact… I like to really pack it in with homemade minatamis na saging, my own jaleya, langka, etc. besides the beans and kaong and nata de coco. This is also a highly requested dessert for balikbayans who if they HAD to cram food memories into one dessert almost always seek a good halo-halo. Don’t forget the ube ice cream and if you want to go over the top, some homemade leche flan…
1. Leche Flan – By far the favorite dessert mentioned. About 70% of all poll respondents chose this as one of their Top 10 desserts. This dessert is relatively easy to make, the flavor and texture so memorable and it crosses lines from Forbes Park to more modest abodes. It can be made anywhere in the world and for me, it spells a festive or special meal or occasion. Frankly, I would pick a halo-halo with a little leche flan on top…that way, I hit the top 2 Pinoy desserts with one order!
Phew, that’s it…now I have to figure out what desserts I haven’t featured and get cracking in the kitchen while I finish off the Italian posts! It is very interesting to note that the more local or native selections (rice or cassava based) prevailed in overall numbers. However, several superb Spanish inspired desserts also make it onto the roster. Perhaps the only strong American influence would be with the ice cream, though we have localized it with our tropical fruit flavors.
Source: http://www.marketmanila.com/archives/favorite-filipino-dessertssweets-revisited
By: Getaruelas, April Therese R.
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