Homemade Gulaman

No other drink is best of summer than a tall glass of ice-cold gulaman, a traditional Filipino drink made of sweet syrup mixed with water, lots of ice and chunks of of the gelatin-like gulaman.

Tired of going out in the searing, summer heat to search for this drink, only to bring home a few in flimsy plastic cups, my mom and I learned to make this drink at home where we can whip it out of the refrigerator anytime for a fuss-free cooler.

my best friend for summer

 Ingredients:

• water
• ice cubes
• brown sugar
• vanilla extract
• gulaman mix

Directions:
Prepare the gulaman according to package instructions. Pour in a shallow, square dish and allow to set, then cut roughly into cubes and set aside.
Dissolve brown sugar and water and simmer over low heat. Add vanilla extract and taste until you get the desired sweetness. Allow it to simmer some more until the it becomes thick and syrupy. Removed from heat and allow to cool.

To prepare, place some gulaman and syrup in a glass. Add ice and water, tasting until you get the right sweetness you want.