Halo-halo started in the Philippines about a hundred years ago. The idea was simple: shaved ice is refreshing in a hot country, so why not pile lots of sweet things on top? Over time, more and more ingredients were added, and the dessert turned into the colourful tower it is today.
The exact ingredients change from shop to shop, but most halo-halo includes: shaved ice, evaporated milk, sweetened red and white beans, slices of ripe banana, jackfruit, coconut strings, sugar-palm fruit, leche flan and ube ice cream. Some places also add cornflakes, rice crispies or a little piece of cheese (yes - cheese).
The fun starts when you stir. The bright purple ice cream mixes with the white ice and the yellow custard and the red beans. The colours blur into one swirly mixture, and every spoonful brings something different: a chewy bit, a crunchy bit, a fruity bit, a creamy bit.
Halo-halo is a hot-day dessert. Most Filipinos eat it in the summer months of April and May when temperatures climb above 30°C. Buying one from a roadside stand on a hot afternoon - tall glass, long spoon, big mix - is one of the simple joys of growing up in the Philippines.