Last Updated on November 22, 2020 by Ed Joven

Filipino Street Foods

Whether you are mega-curious or just plainly drooling already, here’s a quick list of the awesome Filipino street foods that you can easily notice anywhere you go in the Philippines.

Every country will always have their staple street foods since these are the ultimate charmers for locals and travelers alike. Not only are these usually affordable, these also reflect the culture and creativity within the locale when it comes to feeding the community.

People from all walks of life have had the chance to taste these foods but you can be surprised by a number of those who still haven’t tried even a single one!

For those who frequently eat the following street foods, the experience alone of munching on these goodies while being in the actual streets of the Philippines can be one for the books.

Fish ball, Squid ball, Kikiam

They say the only constant thing in this world is change, but in most places in the country, fishball can easily defy that notion.

It has been priced at 50 centavos per piece and has been around since time immemorial! However, this famous street food had been joined by two others – squid ball and kikiam – forming the fried street food trifecta.

Although one can really just taste much of the extenders, most would agree that the fondness lies in the tasty and savory sauce.

It all depends on how delicious the sweet and spicy sauces, else, people would just find another suki with the complete package.

Kwek-Kwek and Tokneneng

Another find in the local sellers’ tray are these tasty orange-flour coated eggs. Kwek-kwek is the small one which is basically quail egg, while Tokneneng is chicken egg; but it is said by some local street food experts/oral historians that the names were actually switched through time!

The moniker Tokneneng was originally for the quail eggs while Kwek-kwek was for the big one which should be duck egg or the one known as penoy.

Nonetheless, these snacks are best eaten with the signature mix – sweet and spicy vinegar, and topped with diced cucumber and onions for that balanced kick.

Isaw and Betamax

Isaw or intestines can either be from a chicken or pig, with the former known for its zigzag pattern and the latter looking like wheels.

Betamax is a moniker given to the coagulated pig blood shaped in squares or rectangles, looking like the said 80’s movie tape.

Banana Cue and Turon

If you want sweet snacks, streets are always teeming with these banana treats! A certain type of banana called saba is used for these snacks since these are known for its solid texture and consistency. These snacks are noticeably present mostly during afternoons.

Banana cue are whole bananas deep-fried in oil and sugar, and cooked until the sugar is caramelized. Two to three bananas are skewered with special banana cue sticks, which are visibly larger and thicker than barbecue sticks, then laid in strainers until buyers flock the kiosks or stands.

Turon on the other hand, are bananas wrapped in crepes or the ones used in lumpia or spring rolls, then cooked similar to the banana cue. There are variations in the fillings going together with the bananas recently but what is most commonly known is turon with langka or jackfruit.

Carioca/Karioka

This is another sweet delicacy that is cooked similar to banana cue and barbecue that is why the usual sellers have these apart from the two banana snacks.

However, carioca or karioka is made of sweet rice or glutinous rice flour, making it a chewy treat that can remind you of rice cakes. These are best eaten while still warm because you don’t want to be chewing on a hard ball when it’s cold.

Calamares

Whether the Filipino accent had to do with the name or not, this has become the popular Filipino version of the breaded squid dish known as Calamari.

It is deep-fried and is usually sold with other deep-fried nibbles like chicken proven or even the deep-fried version of the isaw manok.

Balut

People from other countries seem to be always intrigued by this delicacy. Although it is not as frequent as years before, people just know when a lone vendor shouts “baluuuuuuut!” with that famous long and sustained tone.

This again is an acquired taste since you can already see that little baby bird inside the egg, fully-formed. Although you can feel really guilty when you see this tiny thing, the soup is definitely tasty that it can make you just want to eat it all up.

You should also try the Adobong Balut version.