I was in Divisoria earlier today. Searched several side streets around the burned down Divisoria Mall building in search of tin (not aluminum, plastic or stainless steel) bañeras or wide fish pails. It took the better part of an hour to find one store that sold the bañeras, and only in one size, but I got 6 of them anyway. I want to use them in our restaurants to display some retail goods. If anyone knows where I can get more sizes of plain old-fashioned tin bañeras, please leave me a comment below. At any rate, as the it got hotter and more humid before an odd summer shower, I spied this ambulant vendor with a cart that contained four bottles — one with ripe mango fruit in a sugary sweet liquid, some macerated baguio strawberries, some peeled avocados and some guyabano pulp.
I followed her until she set up shop on a corner and the first customer came up… Into a small plastic cup the vendor added say an inch and a half worth of avocado, then poured in some milk/condensed milk and topped this all with shaved ice and handed the customer a spoon. I forgot to ask how much she was charging but I was somewhat intrigued. I normally see the “bottled” halo-halo’s on offer in busy places like Divisoria but the fresh fruit mash just seemed so smart, refreshing, and a throwback to decades past, before everything came bottled or artificially colored. I didn’t buy myself a cup, worried about the street-cootie factor, what with the ice and the fruit in some mystery water.
So back at home, I immediately went to work. Into a ball jar, I added the flesh of one ripe avocado (too much for one person frankly), some shaved ice, some condensed milk, some fresh milk and topped this all with a scoop of Haagen Daz Vanilla ice cream. It was DELICIOUS. Nothing earth shattering in the idea, see old posts on avocado ice cream, shakes or pops here, here, here and here, but it was a pleasant treat nonetheless.
On a roll, I pulled out some beautiful fresh strawberries that were in the fridge from a weekend foray to the markets, and added say 8 large berries, chopped up, to a Ball jar, then ice, condensed milk, milk and vanilla ice cream. This was terrific as well. Just fresh bits of fruit with an icy cold creamy bath. Sometimes, it’s the simplest things that bring the greatest joy.
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Craving for one right now. Do you happen to know if there is any food fair coming anytime soon? Glad to see a new post from you. :-)
Nothing beats fresh fruits in season! Hello, summer! ????????????
oh my gulay
This post brought back memories of my mom making me this afternoon school snack on hot days! I especially loved the avocado mash. Sadly, avocados are so expensive in the States (in the mid-Atlantic, at least $1 for an avocado the size of a petite woman’s fist), that I don’t make it as often. Thank you for sharing!
This is how my mom used to served avocado or strawberries to us when we were kids. Melon too! But minus the ice cream.
I’m just so glad you’re back, MM.. Stay cool, everyone.. after three months of bitter cold, we finally warmed up here in New Jersey..
avocados and cantaloupes in that iced milk bath spell summer for me
Add to blender and you have milkshake.
as the saying goes “less is more”…….my fave is avocado and macapuno, Yum!
yung bang mukhang giant tansan? i think i saw some at cebu’s taboan market
Looks yummy! Avocado is my favorite fruit :)
If you’re looking for tin bañeras, try reaching out to contacts in Navotas or Malabon. The best contacts would be operators of consignacions in the Navotas Fish Port or the Malabon Fish Market.
There may still be shops manufacturing these bañeras. There used to be one in our neighborhood in Navotas. It’s no longer there and I don’t know where the others are. I haven’t really been back to Navotas in years.
I’m not sure but I believe they sell those banyeras near tabo-an fish market.
Will have to look in Cebu, thanks folks for all those leads. It seems the traditional tin ones are no longer common as plastics and aluminum have replaced most of them… I want to use them to display dry goods hence I am not worried about rusting or leaking…
you ate both of those today?
Isa, hahaha, I had a few spoonfuls and so did Mrs. MM of each. The crew devoured the rest of it along with additional glasses of the stuff… :)
Sorry poh, ignoramus pala Ako, di ko kasi alam na iba ang tin sa aluminum. Akala ko pareho lang sila.
Despite the Philippines being the 5th most mineralized country in the world , we are 3rd in gold reserves, 4th in copper, and 5th in nickel, we do not have tin which is mostly mined/ produced in China, Indonesia and Peru.
As a kid on my way to and back from school, many many moons ago, I used to watch with fascination a Chinese tinsmith, and there were a few in town, work on his craft as he pounded on sheets of tin and shaped and soldered them into banyeras of all sizes, regular pails, pails with spouts, kapeteras, etc. which were displayed all around him as he worked.
I would watch outside the door of the shop until one day, the guy exhibited himself which scared the bejeezus out of me! And so ,tin and banyeras conjure a traumatic memory for me:( and that was the end of my tinsmith craft watching days.
i’ve got all the ingredients except for the fruits…now I know what i’ll be doing over the weekend…thanks MM…
Connie, I never expected that ending to your story! Oh my. What is shock, surprise and laughter rolled into one?
It must have been traumatic for you :(
MM is back! Woohoo!
The avocado + ice + condensed milk mash spells summer for me.
The mercury is rising, but the abundance of fresh fruit is well worth the discomfort called a Manila summer.
There was a shop that had a sign that said tin plating somewhere in Edsa in the Pasay part, southbound. I think it was near the Taft Ave. MRT station. Maybe they can tin plate a stainless or aluminum bañera to achieve the look you’re after.
MM, we tried this at home last night after picking up some avocados in a local grocery. It was a knockout!
We do this without the ice cream. Sliced ripe banana goes well with avocado. Tamang-tama for summer!
‘I normally see the “bottled” halo-halo’s on offer in busy places like Divisoria but the fresh fruit mash just seemed so smart, refreshing, and a throwback to decades past, before everything came bottled or artificially colored.’
This comment and similar ones in previous posts both fascinate and motivate me to investigate where Filipino food went wrong in the culinary world. It frustrates me as well as representation from other Asian countries start to grab attention as well as other dishes that were once regarded as too adventurous are now becoming mainstream. In reference to this post, as Mr. Bourdain says, “a simple good thing”.
Getter Dragon, my thoughts exactly whenever I see nuclear orange colored eggs or baby chickens, incredibly red and sweet chorizos, bagoong that looks like it will stain your tongue, spaghetti that is more dessert than savory dish, etc. etc.
Salamat, MM and to the lady in Divisoria! Your post inspired me to make buko pandan instead of avocado, still sitting on the counter waiting for them to get ripe! Have tons of canning jars of all imaginable size and shape and chose the Weck jars…have to try it, Ebba and Wisdom Tooth…used konnnyaku jelly flavoured with pandan extract and fresh buko water for the liquid, let it set and cut into cubes… topped the shaved ice with coconut ice cream! It was a hit!
Will bring them for Easter pot luck! Just hope I get my Weck jars back though I know it’s not going to happen!
buko and lychee soon! :)
The white strawberries in Osaka are unparalleled in taste! I could just imagine making those into that concoction:)
Hi there Market Man! What you made above are perfect for the summer. My sister and I did something similar last Valentine’s when we made a mix of cream with vanilla syrup. We then interchanged layers of the mix, fresh Baguio strawberries, granola and Kitkat in glasses then topped these with grated chocolate truffles. Sarap!