Mais Con Yelo

Mais con yelo which literally means "corn with ice" is a kind of snack in the Philippines, which is a mixture of corn kernels, milk, sugar and ice. It is so easy and inexpensive to make, that's why it was one of the usual snacks prepared by my mother.

Whenever it's summer here in Texas, mais con yelo is one of those coolers that come into my mind. Some use canned whole corn kernels for their mais con yelo and some prefer cream style corn...but for me, there's nothing better than freshly scraped corn kernels from freshly boiled corn. I even add corn water in my mais con yelo for a richer corn flavor. But I think it really depends on how you want to enjoy it. If you prefer to spoon the corn and chew them with bits of shaved ice, then you should use whole corn kernels. But if you like your mais con yelo to be a plain beverage that you can drink from the glass when the ice has melted, cream style corn would be the better choice. My mother always served mais con yelo with whole corn kernels and crispy pinipig (something like rice crispies but is made from glutinous rice with no sugar added), so I grew up loving it as a snack and not as a drink. 

This is how my mom used to prepare mais con yelo for us...so simple, yet so delicious and refreshing!

I'm sharing this on Food Trip Fiday!

* Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 2 cups freshly scraped corn kernels from boiled corn on the cob (You can also use canned whole kernel corn)
• 1 can evaporated milk
• 4 Tbsp sugar or 8 Tbsp condensed milk (or more depending on how sweet you want it)
• 4 Tbsp corn water (water from boiling corn)
• 4 Tbsp crispy pinipig or corn flakes (I didn't have both so the photos don't show any of the two)
• 4 cups shaved ice

Procedure:

1. Prepare four tall glasses.

2. Put less than half a cup of corn kernels and 1 Tbsp sugar or 2 Tbsp condensed milk in each glass.

3. Add about a cup of shaved ice.

4. Top with remaining corn.

5. Pour 1/4 can of milk and 1 Tbsp corn water.

6. Sprinkle with crispy pinipig or corn flakes.