By: Louis Contento
1. Isaw
We are going to start this list off with a street food that I think reigns supreme on the afternoon grills throughout the Philippines: isaw, which refers to both pig and chicken intestines, grilled over hot fire.
Starting in the middle to late afternoon, you’ll smell the charcoal being lit, and you’ll know it’s time for your afternoon snack. The intestines are coiled onto skewers, and grilled until charred and smoky. The pig intestines are a little chewier and stronger tasting, while chicken intestines are just like mini tube sausages.
One of the best things about eating isaw (and true for lots of Filipino street foods) is seasoning with vinegar. Most people like to soak their isaw in chili onion vinegar and let is absorb as much vinegar as possible. The contrast of the smoky isaw with vinegar is extremely satisfying.
Price – usually about 5 PHP ($0.10) per skewer
2. Kwek kwek
Another giant of Filipino street food, and popular throughout Manila is kwek kwek.
Kwek kwek are quail eggs that are coated in an orange colored batter, and deep fried. You’ll notice them by their bright orange color and almost ping pong ball appearance.
Again, you’ll need to season them with vinegar, chilies, and onions, before eating for the best taste. Kwek kwek is kind of like a corndog, but with a quail inside instead of a hot dog.
Price – 3 for 12 PHP ($0.24)
3. Fish balls / chicken balls
Possibly one of the most beloved Filipino street food snacks, especially among kids in the Philippines, and throughout Southeast Asia for that matter, are fried fish balls and nowadays fried chicken balls as well.
Usually when you eat the street food versions of fish or chicken balls, there’s really only a little meat in the balls, but they also contain quite a lot of flour.
The balls are deep fried, and in the Philippines you grab a skewer and poke them right out of the oil, dip them into chili-onion-vinegar, and eat.
4. Balut
There’s no street food snack in the Philippines more famous (or possibly infamous) than balut — a partially developed duck egg embryo: you could call it the king of all Filipino street foods!
It’s a snack that’s readily available, and very popular to eat, especially in the evening.
In order to eat balut, you crack a small hole at the top of the shell, and first drink out the chicken soup. You can then peel the rest of the egg, season with salt and vinegar, and eat the embryo and yolk.
Walking around a local market in the Philippines is a great place to try balut.
Price – 15 PHP ($.030)
5. Mango shrimp paste
You can think of it kind of like the Filipino version of a caramel apple, but instead of an apple it’s a green mango, and instead of caramel it’s spicy shrimp paste. And for me, it’s probably one of the best things you can eat on the streets of Manila.
They typically use Indian mangoes (what they are called), and the mangoes are cut off the seed, poked onto skewers, and when you order one, the vendor will give your mango a nice spread of shrimp paste.
The mango is crisp and very sour, while the shrimp paste is salty and fishy and a bit spicy, making the ultimate marriage of flavors and textures.
Price – 7 PHP ($0.14) per piece
6. Taho
Taho is the Philippines version of soft silken tofu (douhua), which has Chinese origins and is popular throughout Southeast Asia. The tofu is usually sweetened with a sugary syrup, and served in a cup to eat.
You can eat Filipino taho with a spoon, but the tofu is literally so soft, even though it looks like a solid, you can suck it up with a straw.
Famous Food Around the World 