The Global Carinderia — Exploring the Filipino diaspora through the food we share

If you happen to crave ube ice cream in Budapest, you'll find it at Barako Kávéház,a single-origin coffeeshop run by two Filipino expats.

Three purple scoops crown the coffeeshop's signature halo-halo, the only one on offer in the Hungarian capital. Luleyn Andres, who co-owns the coffeeshop with her husband Ryan, makes her halaya with dehydrated ube powder that she brings home from trips to the Philippines — the one ingredient she has trouble finding in local Asian groceries. If you have access to halaya made with fresh ube, feel free to use it. Diasporic cooking is all about adapting to the ingredients that are available to you. 

Ingredients

2 cups heavy cream

1/2 cup condensed milk

2 cups ube halaya (recipe follows; or use your favorite kind)

Directions

1. In a bowl, mix condensed milk and ube halaya until well combined.
2. Beat heavy cream until it forms stiff peaks.
3. Gently fold the whipped cream into the halaya mixture in three parts, being careful not to push too much air out of the whipped cream
4. Pour mixture into a shallow lidded container and freeze overnight, or at least 8 hours.
5. Before serving, allow to sit on counter 5 minutes or until a scoop passes through easily.

UBE HALAYA RECIPE

Ingredients

1 cup dehydrated ube

20 oz evaporated milk

13 oz condensed milk

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup butter, melted

Directions

1. In a large saucepan, whisk together all ingredients until well combined.
2. Bring mixture to a simmer on low heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture thickens. (The consistency should be similar to that of cookie dough.)
3. Pour into a lidded, heat-proof container. Allow to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate.

Barako Kávéház is located at Török u. 3, Budapest 1023, Hungary.

+36 30 283 7065

https://www.facebook.com/BARAKOKAVEHAZ/

This article also appeared in edited form in Positively Filipino Magazine.