People of the Philippines are crazy about food. Despite the three large meals in a day, they enjoy having various snacks in between. This is how street food became so popular in the Philippines. Filipinos like to enjoy a quick bite anytime, anywhere. So, a wide variety of street snacks have been discovered here including some sweets, some savoury, and some simply absolute bizarre. But don’t worry, we are here to tell you about the most popular street food items you can enjoy in the Philippines.
Deep-fried Tusok Tusok
It is always better, to begin with, the basics. While going on a street food adventure, starting with simple things is the most important thing. As it helps in avoiding overwhelming the senses and your stomach. Tusok means poke. Under this category, you can enjoy wide varieties of deep-fried street foods that are eaten by using a pointed skewer, and poking it through the pieces, and dipping in your favourite sauce.
Fishballs
Most of the fish balls are flat in shape. Originally, it is ground up fish meat mixed with some fillers. It is flattened and then deep-fried by the shopkeepers on their carts.
Squid balls
These balls are as same as fish balls, except the fact that squid balls are made of squid meat whereas fish balls are made of fish. Moreover, squid balls are round.
Kikiam
It was originally taken from Chinese cuisine and authentically made of chopped vegetables and meat. Kikiam used by the street vendors of the Philippines are considered as a more economized version, sometimes made of fish meat instead of using a lot of fillers. They are brown in colour and is a finger’s size.
Kwek-Kwek
These are bright coloured treats that can mislead the foodies. They appear round and comes in a vibrant orange shade, but they are not sweet, nor does it taste like the Cheetos. They are quail eggs that are coated in orange batter and deep-fried. Most of its goodness depends on the sauce that the street food vendor is using.
Crazy skewers
Apart from chicken skewers, the Philippines has a lot of things to offer. After enjoying a few courses of the basic food items, now you must get adventurous. Under this category, you can enjoy grilled animal parts that you never knew are edible. However, don’t feel sick now. Some of these are very tasty. And besides, even if you do not feel them tasty, you at least get an awesome experience to share with your friends.
Isaw
It is chicken intestine, which is thoroughly cleaned. Once it is cleaned, it is coiled onto a skewer and then grilled. People of the Philippines are a great fan of this dish. You must try it yourself to know why this dish is loved by the Philippines.
Betamax
This is not meant for those who have a weak heart. Named after black tapes of the seventies, it is grilled chicken blood or coagulated pork. Yes, that’s right. In fact, grilled animal blood is not as disgusting as it sounds. It does not contain any foul smell or bad taste. Apart from the difference in texture, most of these grilled animal intestines depend on varieties of sauces for taste.