I haven’t tasted ginataang halo halo in a while. I would love to have some but it is a little daunting to make because I know it would entail a lot of chopping. I would have to peel and chop chunks of camote and saba, simmer sago and palitaw and chop some langka. Overall, it is hard work, well for me, at least. So when I saw a lady in a street corner with a shopping cart selling her own ginataang halo halo with palitaw. I was a little excited.
Of course I had doubts if it was sanitary but I have lived in my country for a long time. I have eaten fishballs in a street cart, dipped it in a “communal” sweet and spicy dipping sauce and even tasted sago’t gulaman by the jeepney stop, I’m sure my tummy has acquired its own set of antibodies. Okay, I don’t eat on the streets as much but still I can’t pass up this chance. I love ginataan, may it be ginataang tulingan or ginataang gulay, I love anything mixed with coconut milk.
So I parked in front of this lady. And yes, to those who have been wondering, I pitied her in a way, selling her ginataan in a mid-afternoon with one of her kids clambering up the cart. And yes, I also wondered how she acquired the shopping cart. Maybe it was given to her by a closed grocery store. Anyway, she seemed a little surprised to see me.
There were no plastic cups to pour the warm ginataan to. It was poured in clear plastic and tied up at its end. It was for “to go” it seems or for “take out” as we say in the Philippines. I hoped it didn’t leak inside the car. Luckily it didn’t. When I arrived home, I poured it in a bowl.
The soup was a little thinner than I used to, maybe less coconut milk. There was also more camote in the lot, a little saba with snatches of small sago (tapioca balls) and flecks of langka. And there were pieces of palitaw, yey! Honestly, I don’t know how to make these small dough-like balls in the ginataan. So for a P20 merienda. Not bad. And of course, it saved me from a lot of chopping.
Overall, it tasted fine, not too sweet. It was hearty, warm and filling. It’s been awhile, yum and I’m glad I bought it.This may not be the best ginataan I tasted but it will do. Even just for today.
