Why is the Sorbetes Called Dirty Ice Cream?

In my second Facebook account, I was asked by a Fil-American friend a simple question that I frankly and
remarkably had no credible answer for: “Why is Filipino street-peddled ice cream called dirty ice cream?”

The friend crossed over to the other side of the Pacific about half a century ago; and thus the question, trite as it
may sound, was perfectly legitimate.

Back in the day, we just said ‘sorbetes.’

If I am being honest, I did not really know the answer; and I still don’t. But after a quick scratch of the back of my
head with a hooked pointer finger, I hastily invented a plausible enough sounding theorem.

Sorbetes manufacturing, I said, is something of a backyard industry; and sanitation standards are not
always acceptable. I almost added ‘churva’ but then realised he probably would not understand the meaning of
that contemporary word.

“For all we know, the term just came from uppity mothers who admonished their children not to buy from the
sorbetero because the ice cream was so dirty and so kadirî! And it just caught on…”

I did admonish the friend not to quote me, my very polite way of saying that I just made the explanation up. I am
sure he figured that on his own.

Another friend, this time a Fil-German, said that she thought the name was because the hand of the sorbetero was
dirty. I gave this a bit of thought and, yeah, this explanation was as valid as mine.

Indeed, when I was a boy, the sorbetero was rather bound to be an oldish man with wizened hands along with
cracked and dirty fingernails.

Hence, back in the day, we were admonished not to eat the bottom of the apa (the cone) because this was the
part he held with his fingers as he scooped the ice cream onto it.

Of course, back in the day, I was still a little boy. I would not know how to spell sanitation let alone what it meant.
That is just my way of saying that I ate the bottom of the apa, anyway.

Sayang din. Lamang tiyan.

Truth be told, the sorbetero was something of a Pied Piper; and the sound of his tililing (little bell) sent the kids
scampering from their houses to chase after him. The sorbetes offered cheap relief from the tropical heat.

Of course, if one had more coins, one could also go for the branded popsicles like the pinipig grunch (pinipig
crunch). If for some reason Mother was suddenly and inexplicably generous with handing out the coins, then one
went to the ice cream shop for Magnolia.

But because these occasions were rare – or, at least, in my Mom’s case – then it was the ubiquitous sorbetes most
of the time. When one is a little boy, anything that is cold, sweet and creamy always brings a sparkle to ones’ eyes.

I think the term ‘dirty ice cream’ is a fairly recently coined term. We sure did not call it this way back in the day.

For all we know, the term just came from uppity mothers who admonished their children not to buy from the
sorbetero because the ice cream was so dirty and so kadirî! And it just caught on…
Until even those who are not squeamish about the sorbetes ironically call it dirty ice cream as well…

At this point, one explanation is as good as the other because, at the end of the day. I do not really know.

But maybe you do?

We have come a long way from the “dirty ice cream” served in the great Malolos banquet of September 1898,
when the First Republic ratified the June 12, 1898, declaration of independence. A history of ice cream in the
Philippines is not just a catalogue of taste but also an alternative way of looking at how Filipinos have changed to
become the nation we want to be.

Read more: http://opinion.inquirer.net/86983/a-history-of-dirty-ice-cream#ixzz4CNvcUSAf

Follow us: @inquirerdotnet on Twitter | inquirerdotnet on Facebook

The Dirty Ice Cream of Manila

One of the curious street foods in the Philippines is something called “dirty ice cream.” It is real homemade creamy
ice cream made from local fruits. The traditional word for dirty ice cream is “sorbetes” similar “sorbet.”

The unique ingredient in sorbetes is coconut milk and when sold on the streets, the customer has a choice
between putting the ice cream in a bread bun or on a small wafer cone. One scoop is equivalent to 1.5 tablespoon
in weight and costs a mere 25 U.S. cents making it extremely affordable for anyone on a hot summer day.

The common flavors of dirty ice are cheese, mango, ube, and chocolate. Its history began during the American
occupation of the Philippines where American ice cream made in Philippines used water buffalo’s milk instead of
cow’s milk. Water buffalo’s milk was cheaper and easily available. Today new flavors have been introduced
because of western influence like cookies and cream, mocha, and strawberry.

Peddlers of dirty ice cream do not have a permanent stand. They walk around the city streets and can also be hired
for private parties. Some peddlers have taken to attacking their ice cream carts to a bike making it easier for them
to reach farther places and sell more. Most often they are hired for a children’s party and the customer must pay
for the entire contents of the cart for the 2 to 3 hour party.

You would wonder how these carts can keep the ice cream from melting especially under the hot tropical sun. The
trick of the street vendors is the stuff the carts with shaved ice mixed with salt. This lowers the temperature and
keeps the ice cream which is stored in metal canisters cold and frozen.

As to why it is called dirty ice cream – this was a mother’s warning to a child from buying street food that may not
be safe to eat. In addition, the vendor usually never wears gloves. The government however has stepped and
made sure that the vendors practice good sanitation and hygiene. The buns and wafer cones have to be wrapped
in napkins so the vendor does not touch the food with his bare hands. However, in spite of the improvements, the
name stuck and retained its name, dirty ice cream.

Foreigners who have tasted the ice cream claim that it is a great afternoon treat and has a different texture. The
cheese flavor has tiny bits of cheese while the chocolate is very sweet and mild. As for the children on the street,
the tiny tinkling of the bell is like music to their ears as they know the sorbetero is near.

http://www.gwfoodcoop.org/how-its-made/the-dirty-ice-cream-of-manila/
Is the Pinoy “Dirty Ice Cream” Really Dirty?

A couple of weeks back, my distinctly Filipino-Australian cousin approached me with an interesting query. She
recently visited the Philippines and was curious about the origin of the “Dirty Ice Cream”. I was speechless! I never
questioned the actions of my parents. Simply, I accepted the fact that the street-peddled Sorbetes holds an
unappealing name.

The wealth of knowledge found online can uncover the mystery behind the question that my cousin posed onto
me. As history values the varied perspectives of people, here are the different reasons why it is called as such:

Store-Bought vs Traditional Ice Cream

I can still recall my hilarious experience as we danced to the tune of the Tagalog song entitled “Mamang
Sorbetero” by Celeste Legaspi. The song is about the tantalizing power of an ice cream. It alleviates the strong
feelings caused by the heat and induces the children’s genuine happiness.

As a wooden pushcart passes buy and the sorbetero (male ice cream vendor) rings his bell, Filipinos will flock
immediately. His product is called “dirty ice cream” (traditional) to differentiate from the store-bought ice cream.
The name does not stop us from eating it without fear or hesitation.

Traditional ice cream is made from unique ingredients such as Carabao Milk, Nangka (Jackfruit), and Ube (Purple
Yam). While, store-bought or commercial ice cream boasts the brand of Selecta, Magnolia, Arce Dairy, Magnum,
and so on.

Beyond Japanese Occupation

Many Filipinos believe that the Japanese occupation introduced the existence of frozen desserts. Kakigori, a
Japanese shaved ice dessert, was believed to be the inspiration for the local ice cream. Our ancestors modified
how the Japanese prepared their food.

Dirty ice cream emerged by puréeing ripe fruits with milk, sugar, and water. Then, they froze the mixture into small
containers. Turning these ripe fruits into ice cream is a way to prevent wastage of the overwhelming supply during
the harvest season.

Mothers’ Know Best

Our beloved parents play a part to the last intriguing reason as to why dirty ice cream is dubbed as such.
Succeeding generations of parents have warned their children about the unsanitary ice cream sold from the
vibrant rudimentary carts. The ice cream was deemed to be dirty as the vendors do not wear gloves and do not
manufacture the product in modern factories. However, children continued to patronize it anyway.

Truth be told, this type of ice cream is not dirty! I pay huge respect to the vendors who walk around the city streets
in order to deliver one of the most unique tasting ice creams in the world. In fact, huge companies have picked up
the idea of upgrading the dirty ice cream. Decorated carts with installation walls are currently displayed in massive
ballrooms inside renowned hotels.

Knowing about the history of dirty ice cream is fascinating as it shapes how Filipinos indulge their desserts.
Why It's Called Dirty Ice Cream?

by MJ Garcia Perez

If there is one food that sets my mood, that's ice cream. When I'm mad, weary and happy, ice cream is my go to
comfort food. Be it Selecta, Melona, Magnolia, Dairy Queen, Häagen-Dazs or sorbet, I will eat it haha. There's
something in ice cream that makes me happy. If you are following me on Instagram, you'll see some photos of ice
cream there haha. Actually, the story why I love eating ice cream is because when I was young, my grandma used
to bribe me with ice cream everytime I threw tantrums because I wanna play outside haha (Yes! I was a hard
headed kid. Lol.)

One of the most famous ice creams here in the Philippines is called sorbet or dirty ice cream. It is usually made of
coconut milk flavored with local Philippine fruits. Historians say that Filipinos use coconut milk instead of animal's
milk because Philippines is rich with coconut trees. You're not a Filipino if you don't eat sorbetes. Who can say no
to this affordable but deliciously refreshing dessert? When I posted a picture of me pushing the cart of dirty ice
cream on my social media channels, I've received some comments why it's called dirty ice cream? So here are the
reasons:

1. It's called dirty ice cream because it was a mom's warning to a kid wanting to eat an ice cream that's being sold
on the street.

2. The vendors usually don't wear gloves. Though, the buns and wafer cones were wrapped with napkins, the
name stuck and retained its name, dirty ice cream.

3. Our moms used to tell us that the tip of the wafer cone is being used by the vendors to get their nose cakes.
Yayks! I know it's gross but that's not true hahaha.

The truth is, it's not really dirty. I love eating sorbet and putting it in a bread bun. I have high respect to the
peddlers because even if they don't have a permanent stand, they walk around the city streets just to deliver us
the best tasting ice cream in the world.

Source(s):

Agoncillo, A. (2017, October 4). Is the Pinoy "Dirty Ice Cream" Really Dirty? Retrieved from https://remit.com.au/is-

the-pinoy-dirty-ice-cream-really-dirty/

Ocampo, A. R. (2015). A history of 'dirty ice cream'. Retrieved from https://opinion.inquirer.net/86983/a-history-

of-dirty-ice-cream/amp

Perez, M. J. G. (2016). Why It's Called Dirty Ice Cream? Retrieved from

https://www.vanityroomph.com/2016/05/why-its-called-dirty-ice-cream.html?m=1

yanson, G. L. E. Z. E. L. (2016). Why is the Sorbetes Called Dirty Ice Cream. Retrieved from

https://www.academia.edu/26581777/Why_is_the_Sorbetes_Called_Dirty_Ice_Cream