Sorbetes; once tasted FOREVER wanted

On a hot, sunny day, every Filipino hear the sound of the hand held  bell among the streets in the Philippines, indicating that "MamangSorbetero" (or Ice Cream man) is peddling around the town to offer his sorbetes or dirty ice cream. 

Summer season is now approaching and the spotlight is on sorbetes- Filipino traditional variation of ice cream made in the Philippines.

Sorbetes, as the Filipino ice cream is distinct from the similarly named Sorbet. Sorbetes got its name of dirty ice cream because it is usually sold along the streets in a wooden push cart; thus, exposing it to open air. Peddled by street hawkers it is usually served with small wafer or sugar cone and more recently, bread buns. It is uniquely made from coconut milk, unlike other ice desserts that are made from animal milk. Sorbetes really possesses an inextinguishable taste that whoever can taste it, will experience mouth watering feeling.

Sorbetes is the most affordable Filipino dessert, perfect for merienda. It has an extremely taste and once you tasted, forever wanted.It is also considered as such because it is ussually home-made by the vendors themselves when compared with the commercially-made ice creams where in quality controls were strictly enforced, the dirty ice cream with naturally be cheaper in price from P 5.00 to P 15.00 because it uses less milk and more water in the ingredients.

Way back then Spaniards introduced sorbetes to Filipinos and only elite persons can afford it but Filipinos insatiable quest to improve ice cream and to become more affordable for all. 

According to my grandmother, during her time, her grandfather uses carabao milk and egg yolks and store to a wooden drum with ice and rock salt to maintain cold temperature until ready to be consumed, but when Americans took over the country commercial ice creams were released and introduced leaving home-made sorbetes out of the competition.

On this modern era, how did sorbeteros (ice cream man) compete with the big companies offering world class ice creams?

Mang Carlos Dimaguiba, 45 years old, has been selling sorbetes along the streets of Antipolo City for almost 25 years now. He started with capital money of 500 selling only to his neighbors. When Mang Carlos saw his neighbors were loved eating his ice creams, he decided to borrow money on his relatives. Using P 5,000 he bought a sorbetes cart to sell around his barangay. He sell four flavors ube, chocolate, mango, and cheese for only 5 pesos for wafer cones , 10 pesos for sugar cones and 15 pesos for bread buns. Mang Carlos earns 900 pesos a day and after 3 months he got his capital back. 

According to Mang Carlos existence of big dairy company’s doesn’t affect his income probably because nothing compares Filipino-made sorbetes .

For chocolate flavor

4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped fined

½ cup sweetened condensed milk

½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Salt

1 ¼ cups cold whipping cream

For the procedure

1.      In a bowl, microwave chocolate, sweetened condensed milk, stirring every 10 seconds, until chocolate is melted. Add vanilla and salt then stir; set aside and let it cooled.

2.      With the used of electric mixer on medium-high speed, whip cream to soft peaks for about 2minutes. Whisk ¼ of the whipped cream into the cooled chocolate mixture. Fold the remaining whipped cream into the chocolate intil incorporated.

3.      Freeze in an airtight container until firm, atleast six hour or two weeks.

Talking to all Filipinos, Mang Carlos, in behalf of all sorbeteros (ice cream man), is asking to continously support the Filino-made sorbetes and do'nt let sorbetes overcome by commercial dairy products. 

I have been thinking of foreign influences in Philippine food recently and wonder why Filipinos are so creative. An expensive dessert because of our creativeness Filipinos made it to a simple yet so affordable dessert.

Foreign influences in our country prove that Filipinos can create better version not to impress but to express their creativeness. 

If there is one thing to be proud about, being a Filipino, I think one of which is our cleverness in coming up with new ideas most especially when it comes to food. Say for example, a typical ice cream Filipinos made its own version the sorbetes- cheaper but better than commercial ice cream.

Next time you eat foreign food take time to take a glimpse and relish the Filipino versions of different food varieties and say "eating is more fun in the Philippines".