Pinoy Best Food
A vacation is a time to unwind, see new places and try new food
Camote and Banana Cue
Banana Cue is one of the most popular street foods in the Philippines; it is made out of a deep fried banana coated with caramelized brown sugar served on a stick.
Camote cue or camote fritter (Tagalog: Kamote kyu) is another popular snack food in the Philippines. Camote, also known as sweet potato, is one of the most extensively cultivated crops in the Philippines.
Fishballs and Kwek Kwek
Fishballs are popular street food in the Philippines and are often sold by street vendors at almost every street corner. The balls, primarily made from fish meat ground to a paste, are deep-fried until golden and then skewered in wooden sticks and dipped in a sweet and sour sauce.
Kwek kwek is boiled quail eggs, dipped in orange batter, deep fried and then served on a stick. They are served with a spicy vinegar dipping sauce. The orange colour comes from Annatto powder. There are also other versions with duck and chicken eggs.
Binatog and Kikiam
Binatog is a popular snack sold by street vendors pushing wooden carts. It’s made of boiled white corn kernels mixed with milk, margarine and shredded coconut with a sprinkle of sugar.
Kikiam is another popular street food in the Philippines originated from a Chinese delicacy. It’s made of ground pork and vegetables wrapped in bean curd sheets. It is cooked deep fried and can be paired with a sauce.
Betamax and Adidas
Betamax is a term used to call a Philippine Street Food made from coagulated chicken blood. It consists of grilled dark gelatinous chunks served on sticks, in the rectangular shape of a Betamax tape. Surprisingly it tastes anything like blood.
The Adidas is made from chicken feet. It tastes vaguely of chicken wings but bit chewy and fatty. Unique cuisine requires unique names.
Sorbetes and Taho
Sorbetes is the traditional variation of ice cream made in the Philippines. It is distinct from the similarly named sorbet. Peddled by street hawkers, it is usually served with a small wafer or sugar cones and more recently, bread buns.
Taho is a classic Philippine delicacy made of fresh silken tofu, sweet sugar syrup, and pearl sago. This staple comfort food is a signature sweet and taho peddlers can be found all over the country.
Isaw and Iskrambol
Isaw is a popular Pinoy street food, made from barbecued pig or chicken intestines. The intestines are cleaned, turned inside out, and cleaned again, repeating the process several times.
Iskrambol or Ice Scramble is the Filipino version of Slushy made out of banana flavoured frozen condensed milk usually sold by street hawkers. There are some fancy versions topped with powdered milk and chocolate sauce.
Balut and Turon
Balut is a developing duck embryo that is boiled and eaten from the eggshell. It originates and is commonly sold as street-food in the Philippines. According to popular belief, these eggs are nutritious and aphrodisiac. The best way to eat the Balut is to suck the amniotic fluid before peeling it off. The chick and yolk can be seasoned with vinegar and salt.
The Turon is one the favourite afternoon snacks among Filipinos. It’s made up of a slice of a banana dip in sugar and cinnamon, wrapped with lumpia and then deep fried.