Filipino Favorite Childhood Food that Brings Nostalgia to You

Know these Filipino favorite childhood food? Of course, you do. And you’d love to feel the nostalgia that they bring. Moreover, you want your kids and non-Filipino friends to enjoy them too. 

That’s why you must revisit these goodies today. Think of buying them from traditional vendors or preparing them right in your kitchen. 

But there are dozens of Filipino childhood food that you always want to enjoy back in the days. It is hard to decide where to start enjoying some nostalgia on your table. That is where this shortlist comes helpful for you.

Street Barbecue

Many kids love barbecues that they can buy on the streets of the Philippines. It is usually sold at night; that is why many kids love barbecue for dinner. Barbecue is a common pasalubong of parents for their waiting kids too. 

Filipino barbecue usually blends sweet and sour taste through marination and seasoning. Some kids love the spicy sauce too. And if you don’t want the skewed pork meat, chicken or hotdog barbecues are great alternatives.

Taho

Surely, you have tried shouting back loud while chasing a taho vendor before. This is something that every Filipino kid has experienced, and many do so while growing up.

Why won’t you? After all, taho is sweetened tofu with brown sugar syrup and tapioca pearls. And that is something that a Filipino kid loves for snack or dessert. If you are into this, here’s the homemade taho recipe.

Fishballs

Fishball is another Filipino favorite childhood food that you can’t miss. You remember these tiny balls of flours being sold in small carts outside of churches and schools. They are common in many street corners, markets, and parks too. 

Yes, everybody knows that there is often no fish in fishballs. But that doesn’t blow away the fact that fishballs are yummy treats for any kids in the Philippines. The sweet or spicy sauce is terrific too.

Sorbetes

Of course, every child loves ice cream, and they have their favorite flavor depending on their taste. But in the Philippines, kids enjoy ice cream quite differently on the streets with sorbetes. 

Sorbetes is Filipino ice cream that small carts sell on the streets. The carts usually have three canisters, each containing one flavor of sorbetes. And these flavors are all mixed in a cone upon order. And yes, adults love sorbetes too. Here’s a homemade mango ice cream recipe.

Pinoy Spaghetti

Many chefs claim that Filipino spaghetti isn’t spaghetti because it tastes a lot different than its Italian counterpart. But kids don’t care, especially that Pinoy spaghetti tastes like heaven for them. Surely, you have this spaghetti at all parties you have been to during childhood. And it is present in any Filipino occasion too. 

The Pinoy spaghetti is a simple variation that is easy to prepare. You only need to saute onions, hotdogs, and ground beef together, then mix in the canned or pouched sauce. Put some cheese, and mix the cooked sauce with the cooked pasta. Put a lot more cheese as toppings; and voila! It is ready to serve!

Pastillas and Yema

Pastillas and yema are sweet candies that are traditionally made from milk. Pastillas has a distinct elongated shape, while yema is usually round. The latter is more chewy too. Here’s an easy recipe for pastillas.

Kids love to buy them from sari-sari stores or school canteens. Yes, they are candies, but they are healthier alternatives to popular brands available. And they’re surely one of the best Filipino favorite childhood food that brings big nostalgia to you. Check out this yema recipe.

Ensaymada

Filipino bakeries have many bread options. But ensaymada is undoubtedly one of the best that has taken part in your childhood life. It is a sweet and tasty bread with an interesting shape. No wonder why ensaymada can capture the attention of kids in the Philippines. 

Fruit Salad

Another popular dessert that kids and adult Filipinos love. Fruit salad is, well, salad with different kinds of sweet fruits. You can slice apples, papayas, and bananas. Then, you can mix them with avocado, cream, condensed milk, and raisins too. 

Kids love the dessert as a whole. But you surely have one friend that carefully selects what fruit he wants from the bowl. That is why many parents ask their kids about what to mix in the salad before buying the ingredients. Here’s an easy way to make fruit salad recipe.

Sago and Gulaman

You can’t complete this list without any drinks. And no drinks can bring huge childhood nostalgia other than sago and gulaman. Sago is the Filipino word for tapioca pearls, while gulaman is gelatin. 

It is a Filipino favorite childhood food because it is often available outside schools. Kids love this cheap brown drink after a long day at school or while spending time with friends in summer. 

Iskrambol

Iskrambol, also known as ice scramble, is a Filipino frozen dessert made from shaved ice with banana extract and evaporated milk with sugar, topped with a variety of ingredients including powdered milk, marshmallows, strawberry syrup, chocolate syrup, pinipig, tapioca pearls, and sprinkles, among others.

It is a classic street food favorite of kids or kids at heart.

Enjoy these Nostalgic Filipino Favorite Childhood Food Today

This is a narrow list of childhood favorites that you would love to revisit today. Buy some or prepare them at home, and let your kids enjoy these goodies as you do. Of course, think of other Filipino favorite childhood food that you love as well.