Snacks

  8 Popular Street Food & Snacks  in The Philippines

The Philippines used to be a hub for trading silk, spices, porcelain and other valuable commodities to foreign merchants. Thanks to these foreign influences, we have very interesting food choices when it comes to Filipino cuisine.  Most Filipino street snacks are sinful and laden with calories – the result of the deep-frying process and the coats of sugar that often envelope it.

And since we are a resourceful bunch, we find (unconventional) ways to put food on the table and try our best to not throw away a good rope of intestines or a pair of ears. This is probably why we are known for our penchant for fear factor-quality exotic favourites like duck embryo, and pig and chicken internal organs. Your taste buds will surely have a gastronomic adventure that will make your trip to the Philippines a unique experience.

1. Bananacue

This is a favourite afternoon snack among Filipinos. A local banana called “saba” is coated with brown sugar, deep-fried in oil and skewered on a stick a la barbecue. Aside from banana, there’s also kamote-cue, a sweet potato variety prepared and cooked in the same process.

2. Balot

The ultimate exotic Filipino street food – balut. Balut is a developing duck embryo, boiled and eaten in one gulp.  It is said that balut is high in protein and acts as an aphrodisiac. When eating a balut, crack the round side of the egg and drink the warm and tasty soup inside. Add salt and vinegar for flavor then swallow everything in one swoop.

3.  Kwek-kwek

At first glance, you will mistake them for Dunkin’ Donuts’ munchkins. Kwek-kweks are hard-boiled quail eggs coated with orange batter and deep-fried. When chicken eggs are used, they are called tokneneng.

 4. Tempura

A cheaper version of Japan’s tempura, this snack has almost the same recipe as that of fish balls except that it is elongated with pointed tips instead of round. They are deep fried until golden brown and dipped into your choice of sauce: sweet and sour sauce, spicy sweet and sour or red onion and garlic vinegar sauce.

5. Lumpiang togue

A variety of fried vegetable spring roll, lumpiang togue is stuffed with sautéed mung beans rolled in egg wrapper, and then fried until golden brown. Best paired with spiced vinegar, this snack is available in pungko-pungko*.

6. Isaw

Isaw is made from barbecued chicken or pig intestines. The intestines are turned inside out and cleaned thoroughly. They are grilled and skewered on barbecue sticks then dipped with spiced vinegar.

 7. Peanuts

Various kinds of peanuts are sold in the streets: skinless, cashew nuts, boiled with shells, salted and sweet.

8. Taho

Tahos are typically hawked by vendors traveling by foot, carrying two large aluminum buckets hold aloft by a long stick over their shoulders while calling “tahoooo!” It is a warm, fresh soft bean curd with a richer volume sweetened with caramelised brown sugar syrup and accompanied by small tapioca balls called “sago”. In Baguio City, they have their own unique version of strawberry taho. It is said that taho is from China, adopted by the Filipinos.