Langka-Jackfruit Iced Candy

It’s a scorching hot summer day, during a heatwave on the east coast and on the third Sunday of July it’s National Ice Cream Day here in America. So, I made Langka-Jackfruit Iced Candy. What a way to celebrate a fun occasion and overcome the oppressive heat.

If you’ve never had the Filipino Iced Candy, start now. And if you’ve never had jackfruit or langka, as it’s called in the Philippines, you won’t need convincing after you read this.

Iced Candy are frozen treats that are prepared in thin, long plastic bags. My plastic bags come from relatives who return from the Philippines. You can buy them from online Filipino groceries.

When we were kids, iced candy was street food. The vendor outside our school had different flavors in a Styrofoam cooler. At dismissal, the kids in school swarmed around the vendor and her iced candy sold out. I had the better deal. My mom made iced candy for us, as after-school snacks. She made them from fruits that my dad grew in our farm.

One of those fruits was langka or jackfruit. Recently, vegetarians all over have discovered jackfruit as a good meat substitute. Filipinos have enjoyed langka for ages. Jackfruit grows in the Philippines and in Southeast Asia. It was said to originate in India. The jackfruit is known as the world’s largest fruit and its tree, which belongs to the mulberry family grows as high as 50 feet.

The large fruit is green on the outside, with protruding nodes. Inside, the golden flesh is stringy, thick and has a fragrant, sweet aroma. I live in the suburbs, far from Asian markets or Chinatown so, I don’t find fresh jackfruit all the time. I use bottled langka in sweet syrup and it is just as magical used in this delightfully, refreshing frozen treat.

In a previous blog post a few years ago, I shared how to make easy Mango, Watermelon and Coconut-Pandan Iced Candy. Click here for the recipe.

Print Recipe

Langka-Jackfruit Iced Candy

These Langka-Jackfruit Iced Candy are classic Filipino frozen treats prepared in thin, long plastic bags. In the Philippines, iced candy are commonplace and sold as street food or prepared at home for snacks or desserts. As in regular ice cream or frozen treats, the Filipino Iced Candy can be made using different flavors. I used the langka or jackfruit, which is a tropical fruit with a golden yellow, stringy flesh and sweet, fragrant aroma. For this recipe, I used bottled langka in syrup. This is an Asian in America recipe. Makes about 10 to 12 pieces.

Course: Dessert, Merienda, Snacks

Cuisine: American, Asian, Filipino

Keyword: Filipino Langka Jackfruit Iced Candy Dessert

Servings: 2 people

Calories: 357kcal

Author: Asian in America recipe

Equipment

• Food processor or blender; funnel; iced candy plastic bags

Ingredients

• 1 bottle (12 oz/340 g) langka (jackfruit) in syrup from Asian markets or online sources
• 4 Tablespoons langka syrup (from bottle)
• 1 cup coconut milk canned
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar

Instructions

• Set aside 1/2 cup chopped bits of langka for use later.

  Place the rest of the langka (jackfruit) pieces together with the syrup in a food processor or blender.

  Pulse for 3 to 5 minutes till langka is a smooth puree.
• Add the coconut milk, whole milk and sugar to the langka puree in the food processor.

  Pulse for 2 to 3 minutes till smooth.

  Pour the langka mixture into a medium-sized bowl. Add and mix by hand the chopped bits of langka.

To assemble the iced candy:

• Use a small-sized funnel to transfer the liquid to the plastic bags. Attach the opening of the plastic bag to the bottom tip of the funnel. See how I poured the liquid in a past blog post. Click here.

  Pour about 1/3 cup of the smooth langka mixture into each plastic via the funnel. Leave room for about 1 to 1 1/2 inch space on the opening of the plastic bag.

  Once the plastic bag is filled with the langka mixture, twist the top and tie a knot with the edge of the plastic bag. Repeat the process with the next bags by filling each one with the langka mixture.

To freeze iced candy:

• Place the filled iced candy bags side by side in a flat position inside a plastic container. Make sure the plastic iced candy bags are in a straight position and not twisted nor crooked.

  Cover the container. Freeze the iced candy overnight. Serve the iced candy frozen.

Cook's comments:

• In the Philippines where there are numerous regions, and provinces, the langka is known in different dialects. In Tagalog it is nangka; angka in Kapampangan; nangka in Cebuano and Ibanag; anangka in Ilocano; yangka, badak or nangka in Maranao; badak in Maguindanao. And of course in English, it is jackfruit.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 357kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 23g | Cholesterol: 6mg | Sodium: 41mg | Potassium: 329mg | Sugar: 28g | Vitamin A: 99IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 89mg | Iron: 4mg

Notes on Nutrition:  The nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and specific brands of ingredients used.

Did you like this recipe? I have more classic recipes inspired by my late mother’s cooking in my popular cookbook: My Mother’s Philippine Recipes. If you’re learning how to cook Filipino food or a fan of Philippine cuisine, buy my cookbooks and books on Amazon.com sold worldwide in paperback and Kindle format.

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