Tara, let’s dig in!
10 Top Snack here in the Philippines
Banana-cue
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.
Balut
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.
Dirty ice cream
These street soft serves are not exactly dirty. The name was coined from the dodgy appearance of the carts owned by the ice cream vendors. Flavors often come in chocolate, ube (purple yam) and cheese. They are pocket-friendly and can satisfy your sweet cravings on a hot day.
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.
Fish balls
This snack is round, fish-flavoured dough that is deep-fried in a wok. Vendors usually spear the balls using barbecue sticks then dip them into flavourful sauces: sweet, spicy or a mix of both.
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.
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
Buko juice
Being in a tropical country, the Philippines is blessed with coconuts. Street vendors simply slice the topmost part of the shell and then serve it. After drinking the juice, you may ask the vendor to give you something to scrape off the juicy flesh with.
Peanuts
Various kinds of peanuts are sold in the streets: skinless, cashew nuts, boiled with shells, salted and sweet.
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
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