Samalamig facts for kids
Various types of samalamig sold by a street vendor in Malabon
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| Type | Beverage |
|---|---|
| Country of origin | Philippines |
| Ingredients | Various, see text |
Samalamig, also called palamig, is a group of sweet, cold Filipino drinks. These drinks often have jelly-like bits inside. You can find them in many different flavors. Street vendors commonly sell samalamig as a refreshing treat.
Some common things you might find in these drinks are gulaman (which is like agar jelly), sago pearls, kaong (sugar palm fruit), tapioca pearls, nata de coco (coconut gel), and coconut pieces. People sometimes call them "pearl coolers" or "pearl and jelly coolers" in English.
Samalamig can also include cold fruit juices, often with fruit chunks. Chocolate and coffee drinks are also part of this group. These are usually sold by the same vendors, even if they don't have jellies.
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What's in a Name?
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The name "samalamig" comes from two Tagalog words. Sa means "for" or "at," and malamíg means "cold" or "chilly." So, "sa malamig" can mean "for cold drinks" or "at a cold place."
Long ago, street vendors might have called out, "[Dito] sa malamig!" This meant "Come here for cold drinks!" Over time, "sa malamig" became the name for these cool treats. Another name is palamig, which simply means "cooler" or "chiller."
What is Samalamig?
Samalamig isn't just one type of drink. It's a whole group of different cold drinks. Street vendors usually sell them. They are very popular during hot summer months.
Today, you can also find samalamig in restaurants. These restaurant versions often come with shaved ice on top.
Types of Samalamig
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There are many kinds of samalamig. Makers can mix and match ingredients as they like. There are no strict rules for how to make them. The main thing they all share is that they are served cold with ice. They also usually have jelly-like ingredients or pieces of fruit.
Buko Juice
Buko juice is simply chilled coconut water. It often comes with strips of coconut meat. It can be sweet or not. Some people also add milk to it.
Buko Pandan Drink
Buko pandan is a popular flavor mix in Filipino cooking. It combines coconut and pandan leaves. The dessert version has coconut strips, pandan, and jellies in coconut milk.
The drink version is similar but thinner and more liquid. It usually has a light green color from the pandan leaves. The jellies in it are often dyed green too.
Calamansi Juice
Calamansi juice is like the Filipino version of lemonade. It's made from fresh calamansi fruit juice. It's sweetened with sugar or honey and served cold.
This juice can also be a base for other samalamig drinks if you add more fruits. Calamansi juice is a common drink in Filipino homes. A warm, unsweetened version is often used as a home remedy for colds.
Fruit Salad Drink
The fruit salad drink is much like the Filipino fruit salad. That dessert has fruit chunks, jellies, and coconut strips in condensed milk. The drink version just has more water and condensed milk added to make it drinkable.
Guinomis
Guinomis is a cold dessert that uses shaved ice. It's sometimes seen as a type of halo-halo. It's made with sago pearls, pinipig (toasted pounded rice), different jellies, and coconut milk over shaved ice. Like halo-halo, it can have many variations. This drink comes from the Hiligaynon people.
Melon sa Malamig
Melon sa malamig is also called "melon chiller" or "melon cooler." It's basically pieces of cantaloupe mixed with sugar and water. Some recipes add calamansi juice or evaporated milk or condensed milk.
If you add milk, you should drink it right away. Enzymes in the cantaloupe can make the milk bitter if it sits for too long.
Sago at Gulaman
Sago at gulaman is the most common type of samalamig. Its name means "sago and gulaman" (agar jelly). These are the main ingredients.
The drink is usually flavored simply with muscovado (or brown sugar) and pandan leaves. Sometimes, vanilla or banana extract is used instead of pandan. Tapioca pearls are also often used instead of sago.
Sweet Corn Samalamig
Sweet corn samalamig is similar to maíz con hielo. However, it does not include shaved ice. It's made with sweet corn kernels in milk, along with jellies.
