Thankful Thursday: Ice Scramble/Iskrambol from our La Union trip

For those who are unfamiliar with iskrambol, it’s a frozen dessert of finely shaved ice, flavored with banana extract, sugar, or evaporated milk, and topped with milk powder, marshmallows, and chocolate syrup. If you are lucky, some vendors would have pinipig as an additional topping. Pink food color is usually added to provide it with a bright hue.

I remember it from my childhood days in the ‘90s, it’s one of the street foods we loved buying. It was usually sold right outside school and with its bright colors and toppings, any kid would be attracted to it. It was also affordable, so it was also kid-friendly in terms of the price. Even if we bought iskrambol, we would have extra coins for buying fish balls or banana cue. However, iskrambol sellers eventually declined over the years. Or maybe I just grew up and wasn’t frequenting the places where iskrambol was sold, that was probably the reason why I miss it a lot.

Anyway, the iskrambol that we had in La Union was different because instead of pink, it was purple because of the addition of ube (purple yam jam). It had the usual milk powder, marshmallow, and chocolate syrup toppings, but the ube elevated the flavor of this dessert. It was really delicious and flavorful and was a relief from the heat of the summer and the beachside breeze. Even the children also loved the iskrambol; Miguel, in particular, wouldn’t stop eating/drinking this delicious concoction.

What I also liked about this iskrambol was that the flavors weren’t too overpowering so it was thirst-quenching. It wasn’t too sweet to the point that it would make your throat ache. If you get the chance to go to Immuki Island, don’t forget to buy iskrambol from the vendor located right at the entrance.

Similar stories: