It’s Now ‘Halaya’ Making Season in Malabon

(PNA News Feature) — With Christmas Day just around the corner, long-time Malabon residents are now officially engaged in preparing and cooking “Halaya,” one of the town’s most loved delicacies.

Making “Halaya” is a tedious and back-breaking process appreciated only by those who literally saw the dish prepared and cooked before their very eyes, in the toasting heat of charcoal or woodfire.

Ingredients of this Yuletide dish consist of “ube”, white sugar, cheddar cheese, margarine, eggs, coconut milk, and condensed milk.

And depending on the income of the family who will cook this traditional pudding, they can cook as little as one kilogram of the sweet dessert (for those in a tight budget) and as much as a 20 kilograms (for those really well off).

Old-time residents prepare “Halaya” by peeling and boiling first their “ube” until it is soft like rice porridge.

And when the “ube” is in that consistency, persons-in-charge of cooking this dish, will then cool it down before hauling to the “gilingan” (grinders) to make it more of a liquid consistency.

Upon reaching this stage, the white sugar, eggs, margarine, cheese, coconut milk, condensed milk will be then mixed in their purple batter.

Mixing, depending on the cook, can take as little as ten minutes or as long as 30 minutes for the traditionalist who wants all ingredients blended thoroughly.

The mixture is then placed on a huge basin-like container and placed atop a fire feed by charcoal, coconut husk or even dried wood.

Here, the “halaya” is stirred by long wooden ladles from two to four hours until finally cooked.

During that time, stirrers are deluge with bits of “halaya” themselves as this dish has the uncanny habit of popping-up or erupting when just about to be done, scalding them with hot pudding.

Some have been unlucky enough to be burned while doing this job.

Once the “halaya” is cooked, the process of putting it in aluminum containers is done.

After which, the items are cooled down to room temperature and placed in the refrigerator to be taken out and eaten during the “Noche Buena” and “Media Noche” feasts or distributed as gifts to loved ones during Christmas or New Year’s Day reunions. (PNA) FPV/PFN