Gians Sorbetes

At last, a commercial Filipino Sorbetes in New Zealand! And I had tried 5 flavours out of their 16-flavour range. This is quite impressive, a milestone for Filipino cuisine here in New Zealand. Flavours are truly Filipino where they offer ube, jackfruit, avocado, lemongrass ginger, dulce de leche, black coconut, azuki red beans, melon, coco pandan, peach mango, mango, matcha with black sesame, choco hazel nut, taro, rocky road and barako coffee crumble. I am not sure though if each and every flavour I mentioned are still available as of this writing as they tend to add and remove products on a regular basis. Another great thing about this iced treat is that the packaging looks really nice, very professional and not your typical Pinoy Mom’s side-line business homemade disposable container. Complete with branding and all, it even uses alibata to translate the words “Sorbetes”.

If you notice, I did not mention that this was an ice cream because it is a Sorbetes. What is the difference? Well, Sorbetes is lighter than ice creams, traditionally it uses carabao’s milk instead of cow’s milk and the amount of butterfat in this type of milk is about 6 to 8 percent, which makes it taste really light. Butterfat coats the tongue like how butter or fatty soups works that is why ice cream feels creamy and richer, having said that it will also reduce the amount of flavour you’re tasting.

Another important aspect of the Sorbetes is that it is less churned than commercial ice cream, the flavours added to the mix are more enhanced, too. In sorbetes you can taste any flavours added, like queso, cocoa or strawberry, it is more enhanced, you don’t even need lots of it, it also means that there is only minute hints of the carabaos milk. On the other hand, ice cream flavours need to be stronger, more intense so it permeates that butterfat that coats you tongue.

Now why all the intro? Because what I am reviewing now is for a sorbetes and not an ice cream, so if you disagree with my findings, bear in mind that this does not compete with New Zealand Natural, Movenpick or Tip Top, it’s a different league on its own, it is sorbetes, the ice treat Filipinos are used to from their childhood. One thing for sure, it tasted like the dirty ice creams back home, it has that nostalgia, its icy, slightly milky but with nice flavours. We tried the avocado, rocky road, ube, barako coffee crumble and queso. The queso and ube brought me back to my childhood the second tongue licked it. I am not sure if they used carabaos milk, probably not but they nailed the similar sorbetes taste. The only thing missing was the occasional salt that comes from that salted ice inside Manong Sorbeteros cart. I did like it and my favourite one out of that bunch was the barako coffee crumble, it was full flavoured, like drinking iced coffee. For all of them, it did not feel heavy after having one, which means, the guilt was less, it was refreshing and very satisfying, a perfect way to end a meal and not to worry how to end your dessert.

Now if you are looking for some ice cream then this is not for you, but if you are looking for a sorbetes, then this is it!

Gians Sorbetes
Website: http://www.sorbetes.co.nz/
Phone: +64 22 042 3781