Mais con yelo

Filipino iced corn dessert: sweet corn kernels and creamy milk poured over shaved ice, the beloved summer merienda of the Philippine islands where corn arrived by galleon from Mexico in 1565

Origin: Philippines

From the journey of Corn.

Mais con yelo, 'corn with ice' in the Filipino mixture of Spanish and Tagalog, is one of the most popular halo-halo (mixed shaved ice dessert) variants in the Philippines. It strips back the elaborate multi-ingredient halo-halo to its purest element: sweet corn, evaporated milk, and shaved ice. The result is refreshing, sweet, and wholly Filipino: a dish that makes visible the extraordinary journey of corn from Mesoamerica to Asia. Corn arrived in the Philippines via the Manila Galleon trade route in 1565, carried directly across the Pacific from Acapulco to Manila by the Spanish. In Mindanao, the large southern island, it displaced rice as the daily staple. But across the archipelago it was also embraced as a sweet ingredient; in ginataang mais (corn in coconut milk), in corn bibingka, and above all in mais con yelo, which became the roadside snack and sari-sari store staple that cools the Philippine summer. The Filipino genius for combining unexpected ingredients (a Mexican grain, condensed milk from colonial-era trade, Southeast Asian shaved ice traditions) into something entirely its own is perfectly expressed in this simple, beloved cup.

Ingredients

400 g tinned sweet corn kernels, drained (or fresh corn boiled and cooled)
200 ml evaporated milk
4 tbsp sweetened condensed milk, plus more to taste
8 cups shaved ice or crushed ice
4 tbsp corn syrup or simple syrup (optional, for extra sweetness)

Method

If using fresh corn: boil the corn kernels for 5 minutes until tender. Drain and cool completely. Sweet tinned corn is the everyday version and works perfectly.
Chill the corn, evaporated milk, and condensed milk in the fridge before assembling; mais con yelo must be eaten immediately and everything should be cold.
Divide the shaved or crushed ice between four cups or bowls. The ice should come to the top of the cup.
Spoon a generous portion of corn over the ice. Drizzle evaporated milk liberally over the top. Add a spoonful of condensed milk for sweetness and richness.
Serve immediately with a long spoon. Eat quickly; mais con yelo waits for nothing.

Notes

Mais con yelo is the building block of halo-halo: the great Filipino mixed shaved ice dessert. To make halo-halo, add to the mais con yelo: sweetened red beans, nata de coco (coconut jelly cubes), macapuno (coconut sport strings), ube halaya (purple yam jam), leche flan, and a scoop of ube ice cream on top. But mais con yelo alone; simple, cold, sweet, milky; is the purest version and many Filipinos prefer it. The corn must be sweet: use the sweetest tinned corn available, or fresh sweetcorn boiled with a pinch of sugar.

The Gastrographer

Name: Mais con yelo
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Philippines
Ingredients: 400 g tinned sweet corn kernels, drained (or fresh corn boiled and cooled); 200 ml evaporated milk; 4 tbsp sweetened condensed milk, plus more to taste; 8 cups shaved ice or crushed ice; 4 tbsp corn syrup or simple syrup (optional, for extra sweetness)

Mapping Culinary History

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Journey Point Map Key

Ingredient originTrade or transit route

Became a culinary stapleColonial / trade control