Tasting Bicol’s Sili Ice Cream

Filipino cuisine is generally less spicy than other Southeast Asian foods, except for Bicolano dishes, which are known for their generous use of red chilis. So I wasn’t surprised when I heard about Sili ice cream, a red-chili flavor ice cream unique to Bicol—it’s quintessentially Bicolano.

In July 2022, my family, relatives, and I took a day trip to the province of Albay in Bicol region, to see the Mayon Volcano. From Farmplate in Daraga, Albay, we drove a bit further south to SM City Legazpi, a mall which also offers a good view of the volcano.

At SM City Legazpi, we dined at 1st Colonial restaurant, famous for offering authentic Bicolano dishes. It would have been a great experience to try their meals but unfortunately we only had an afternoon so we only ordered for snacks. We had ube champorado and of course, their unique dessert of Sili ice cream.

We tried the ube champorado first. It is a Filipino porridge flavored with purple yam instead of cacao, as how champorado is traditionally cooked. Served with evaporated milk, topped with cheese and an ube candy bar, this light purple dish is creamy and mildly sweet, unlike its traditional counterpart, which features a dark brown color and with a bitter-sweet taste expected of a cacao flavored dish.

Then we had the Sili ice cream.

Typical of an ice cream, this one is lightly sweet, smooth, and creamy, but with a spicy aftertaste. They offer three spice levels: Level 1 is mild and Level 3 is the spiciest. We ordered a Level 1, and while I finished a scoop without needing water, my mom, who rarely enjoys spicy foods, needed a few sips to finish hers. For someone like me who doesn’t mind mild spice in food, a scoop or two of Level 1 is enjoyable, but for someone like my mom who isn’t fond of spicy foods, would likely stop at just one scoop.

Our visit to Legazpi was only for an afternoon, but despite this, I’m glad to have finally tried Bicol’s Sili ice cream!

PS Not a paid post.