By Rai Brian Peliño
Whatever your taste is, there’s always a Pinoy street food that fits your taste buds. There are simple, unique, exotic, and weird street foods on sticks and in small cups.
But if you’re yet to march on the streets of the Philippines for these, you need a guide to find the best street foods to try today. After all, there are too many selections around. Plus, there are foods whose contents are hard to figure out. And you wouldn’t want to ruin an otherwise enjoyable moment by unknowingly eating something you don’t want.
That’s why you must read through this guide and know the best street foods in the Philippines today.
Presenting the Best Pinoy Street Foods You Must Try Today
1. Fishballs
Fishballs are small balls that are served on sticks or in small cups. These are made of flour dough and are deep-fried right in the peddler carts.
Now, here’s the thing. Most Filipinos know that most fishballs don’t have fish at all. But this doesn’t blow away the fact that fishballs are great cheap treats for kids and adults in the Philippines. Dip the fishballs in spicy vinegar or special sauces, and you’d have a great snack time ahead.
2. Kikiam
This is the Filipino take on ngo hiang from China. Kikiam is a mixture of ground pork, minced shrimp, and some seasoning, and then wrapped in beancurd rolls. Street vendors sell it by deep-frying, but kikiam is also a popular topping for many noodle recipes. And same with fishballs, kikiam is often dipped in spicy vinegar or in special sauces too.
3. Isaw
You can’t talk about Pinoy street food without mentioning isaw. It is a deep-fried or grilled pork or chicken intestine that is often sold on sticks.
Chicken isaw has a tubular shape that is a few inches long and has a lighter taste than the pork variant. Whereas pork isaw is circular and has a stronger taste. Both are chewy to eat and are perfect with spicy vinegar.
4. Calamares
Do you love seafood? Calamares is for you! These are deep-fried, thin slices of squid rings that are coated with flour. And these are often served with vinegar too.
5. Kwek-kwek and Tokneneng
Yes, their names sound funny. But these are terrific egg street foods that you should try in the Philippines.
Kwek-Kwek is boiled quail eggs that are coated with batter and are deep-fried. It has a bright orange appearance because of the food coloring agent that the batter contains. And tokneneng is the duck or chicken egg version of Kwek-Kwek.
6. Balut
Street food? Eggs? Well, you can’t miss the infamous balut in such a case. These are fertilized duck eggs and are incubated for a few days before boiling. This process makes balut popular and unique, but it makes it controversial too.
Also, remember that you need to eat balut quite differently. You do not treat it as a regular boiled egg. First, you must make a small crack at the top of the egg to sip its soup. That’s when you can peel the shell off to eat the rest.
7. Taho
Another Pinoy street food that everybody loves. Taho is silken tofu, brown sugar syrup, and tapioca pearls in small cups. Many Filipinos love taho for breakfast, but it is also perfect for snacks and desserts.
But what makes taho unique is the experience that it brings. Peddlers sell taho inside large containers that they carry while walking on the sidewalks. They do it while shouting out “Taho!” to get the attention of customers. The customers then go out of their houses to catch the peddler and enjoy the sweet treat.
8. Sorbetes
Filipino kids love this cold sweet treat. Yes, it is ice cream, and it is called dirty ice cream in the Philippines. But it only got its name because it is often sold by small carts in polluted street areas. It is not dirty at all, and it is terrific!
Sorbetes are ice cream made with carabao milk and are served in wafer cones. Vendors sell them using small carts that carry three different flavors. And these peddlers use small bells to get the attention of kids on the streets.
9. Banana cue
A classic afternoon snack that you can easily find in almost any corner. Banana Cue is, well, a banana on a stick. But it has a caramel coating that makes it golden brown and sweet. There is also kamote cue or the sweet potato counterpart of banana cue.
10. Green Mango
Yes, most Pinoy street food options above look unique and weird. But if you want to go simple, green mango is for you.
It is unripe mango that is sliced off the seed and is served in small pouches. You can season it with salt, vinegar, or soy sauce, or the classic Filipino bagoong.
Find these Pinoy Street Food Options for You to Enjoy Today
The Philippines has a long list of street food for you to enjoy. Whether you want simple, unique, exotic, or weird, some options would fit your taste. That’s why you should begin roaming around the streets today and find the best Pinoy street food that would satisfy your taste buds.
Looking for other Lutong Bahay Recipes to try on? Feel free to check out our ulam recipes, desserts recipes and snacks recipes.
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