Filipino Street Foods

It is easy to spot street food vendors; where there are churches, schools, recreational parks, or jeepney terminals, you will also see kiosks, makeshift stalls, or food carts. In suburbs, you will see vendors or hawkers with their bicycles or push carts almost everywhere. Street food is a way of life for many people in this part of the globe. It is a source of income for many Filipino families—some vendors testified that their street food businesses enable them to send their children to school. For students and working adults looking for inexpensive meal, street food satisfy them for just half-the price of a meal in any popular fast-food restaurant.

Instead of dining in a restaurant for an authentic Filipino dish, why not go out in the street and have a quick bite. There is nothing more authentic than those food in the streets—untouched with the modern culinary flair. You will not only get to enjoy the food, but you get to join the locals who are eating with much gusto.

Banana Cue

Deep-friend Saba (banana) that is coated in caramelized brown sugar and skewered in bamboo stick. It is best to eat it while hot.

Fish balls, squid balls and chicken balls

Some of the delicious deep-fried balls you can find in the streets. Fish balls are made of finely pulverized fish meats. It is usually flat in shape. Squid balls and chicken balls are some of its recent variation. Typically, the balls are eaten by dunking it into your preferred sauce: spicy vinegar, sweet and sour sauce, or sweet gravy.

 

Kikiam

A Filipino version of the Chinese quekiam; made of ground pork and vegetables wrapped in bean curd sheets. It is deep-fried to perfection and served with your choice of sauce.

Kwek kwek and tokneneng

Hard-boiled eggs dipped in orangey batter and fried until crispy. Kwek kwek use quail eggs while Tokneneng use chicken eggs.

Siomai

Steamed dumplings, originally a Chinese dim sum, made with pork, beef, or shrimp. For just 25 pesos or less, don’t expect it to taste like those in the Dim sum house or restaurant.

                                                          Taho

Soybean snack with sweet syrup and tapioca pearls.

 

 

 

Arroz caldo and goto

Rice porridge similar to Chinese congee with ginger and some herbs. Arroz caldo has chicken and egg while goto has beef tripe.

Batchoy

Noodle soup with pork innards or chicken meat, pork cracklings and vegetables

 

Chicharon

Filipino cracklings made from different parts of the chicken and pig, seasoned, and deep-fried. These include chicken skin (crispy chicken skin), chicharong baboy (cracklings from pork rind), chicharong bituka (crispy, deep-fried chicken and pork intestines), and chicharong bulaklak (cracklings from pork omentum).

 

Barbecue

Marinated chicken and pork skewered and grilled over hot charcoal. Other grilled food includes adidas (chicken feet), betamax (dried chicken or pork blood), helmet (chicken head), isaw (chicken intestines), and pwet ng manok (chicken ass)

                                         Halo-halo

A Filipino dessert made with a mixture of shaved ice, evaporated milk, and assorted ingredients like beans, macapuno, jackfruit, gulaman, tapioca pearls, sweet potato, corn, and nata de coco. It is then topped with leche flan or purple yam. Halo-halo in restaurants would typically include a scoop of icecream on it

 

Calamares

  Deep-fried breaded squid rings

Kakanin

This is a Filipino term for a variety of rice recipes. Some of the popular kakanin you will see in the streets are:

Puto: Rice cakes that comes in variety of colors, sometimes topped with cheese
Suman: Steamed glutinous rice, wrapped in banana or coconut leaves
Bibingka: Glutinous rice grilled in a clay pot
Palitaw: Sticky snack made from glutinous rice, served with sesame seeds and grated coconut
Sapin-sapin: Colorful, layered rice cake made from glutinous rice, topped with grated coconut or toasted coconut milk curd
Biko: Dark sweet glutinous rice cake
Maja blanca: Cocounut cake

                         

Day-old Chicks

This is literally a one-day-old male chicks. They are deep-fried, served with spicy vinegar and eaten whole.

 

Balut

Saving the best for last is the balut It is a hard-boiled three-week old duck egg, high in protein, and believed to be aphrodisiac. It is very notorious because of how it look, with its nearly-formed embryo. The proper way of eating balut is to suck the amniotic fluid first before peel it off to eat the chick and the yolk.

There is no glamour eating street foods, but why seek for glamour when you want fun and adventure. Your palate may not be the same again once you have tasted the Filipino street foods. As double-dipping is very common especially for fish balls, a little piece of safety advice: request for a separate plastic cup instead for your choice of dip. Vendors usually keep a separate bottle for their sauces. Also, be watchful on how vendors prepare and cook their food.

Top 5 Food For the Rainy Season

                    Rainy season is finally here. For a lot of people, it’s a sign that there will be more chances for them to stay at home and relax—granted there’s no repeat of Ondoy of course. But staying indoors while it’s raining outside has become such a luxury for a lot of people—especially those who have a normally hectic schedule—that sometimes you take an effort in figuring out exactly what you need to make the most out of the perfect ambiance at home. If you haven’t decided on what to prepare, here are top 5 comfort food that would be perfect for the rainy season.
 
1.Soup – yes, we’ve all had soup before our meals, and some of us don’t like it because we get full easily. But when it comes to fully enjoying the time indoors with the sound of the gentle rain outside, we don’t mind sitting down with a bowl or two of delicious soup. But it shouldn’t be merely broth. If you want something delicious and filling, Minestrone and Chicken Sopas would be perfect. These are fairly easy to make, plus you have everything that you need in one bowl. Pasta, meat, vegetables—all in one steaming, delicious bowl. Now you just have to figure out how you’re going to eat this and lie on the couch at the same time.
 
2.Chips and Dip – ah, yes. No hassle in preparation with this one. All you have to do is buy the biggest bag of chips you can find and whip up an easy but delicious dip and you’re all set. One of the easiest dips to do is the cheesy garlic dip. All you have to do is get a big tub of Cheez Whiz and heat it, splash a bit of milk, and pour in garlic powder to your heart’s content. I assure you, it is awesome—and perfect for any kind of chips you prefer.

3.Sinigang – a staple in the Filipino cuisine, sinigang will always be included in any top 5 food lists. Whether it’s sinigang na hipon, bangus, or baboy, the hot and sour broth is perfect in contrast with the cold weather. Plus it’s even better when shared with someone.
 
4.Ice cream – who said you can only eat ice cream during summer? Contrary to popular belief, ice cream is best enjoyed during the rainy season, especially if you’re huddled closely in your blanket or Snuggie. When you’re feeling warm on the inside because of your Snuggie, somehow it’s good to counteract it by eating ice cream. But whatever reason we all have, only one thing is sure. Ice cream is a great comfort food, regardless of the weather.

5.Champorado – another favorite merienda when we were kids, champorado remains one of the favorites to enjoy during the rainy season. It’s hot, sweet, and it’s chocolate! Everything you need to make you feel comfortable and happy when you’re indoors enjoying a quiet time watching TV. Plus, there are a number of things you can enjoy champorado with. Some like it with tuyo because of the contrasting taste, while there are others who love it best when it’s topped with grated cheddar cheese. As for more traditional people like me, a generous serving of champorado with evaporated milk is enough to make me happy.

The 5 Diet Foods

1. Fruits and Vegetables. The best snacks to eat while dieting are fruits and vegetables. They are both relatively low in calories and high in vitamins, minerals and fiber. The high fiber content slows down the digestion process and makes you feel full for a long period of time which lowers your daily calorie intake.

2. Complex Carbs. Carbohydrates can be split up into two groups: simple and complex. Simple carbs include sugars and are referred to as the bad or unhealthy ones. They are digested quickly, usually contain little in the way of nutrients and leave you hungry very quickly which promotes an increased calorie intake later in the day. Complex carbs are digested a lot slower, have an abundant source ofvitamins, minerals and fiber, and keep you full for a long period of time. Oats, 100% whole wheat bread and pasta, vegetables, fruits and beans are great sources of complex carbs.

3. Lean Meat. Meat has a bad reputation but if you pick the right types, you'll be eating a food that is high in protein and low in fat. Some of the meats we've come to love are filled with saturated fat (the unhealthy kind). Fortunately for the meat lovers, there are choices that are almost fat free. When eating meat, stick to chicken, turkey, lean cuts of beef and fish.

4. Nuts. Though nuts are high in calories, they are also loaded with healthy nutrients. They will also keep you full for a lot longer than snacks that are high in sugar which will help you from loading up on more food later in the day.

5. Junk Food. Most people think that diets are no fun because junk food has to be completely eliminated. This isn't true at all. While the amount of junk food you eat should be reduced, it shouldn't be removed from your intake all together. A diet isn't about short term changes, it's about a healthy lifestyle that will allow you to enjoy your food while at the same time, staying within your healthy weight range. If you get rid of all the foods you love, you're depriving yourself. A diet won't last very long if you aren't enjoying the foods you're eating. It's a lot better to eat a doughnut here and there than it is to ditch your diet all together and go back to your old habit of having 4 doughnuts per day. Moderation is key, so have a few cookies each day but don't eat the entire box.

Honorable Mention: Water. Though water isn't technically a food, it's a good tool to use to lose weight. When you replace high calorie drinks such as coffee and sugar, fruits juices, sodas and sweet tea with water, you can substantially cut down your calorie intake. At the end of the day, the amount of calories you take in will determine whether or not you lose weight.

Best Foods For Summer

 Best Foods For Summer

Summer is a season when we have opportunity to take care about our health properly: eat light and very healthy meals, do lots of outdoor activities, spend time outside playing games, swimming, hiking and so on. It is very important to follow a healthy nutrition plan in summer as a variety of fresh fruit and vegetables is available at the market. Therefore, summer is just the time to put off weight, cleanse our body from harmful toxins and stimulate metabolism.

                                                                                           

The world’s leading nutritionists suggest eating not less than 5 types of fruit and veggeis every day. Those can be any types of your favorite greens, sweet or juicy fruit like strawberries, cherries, apricot, pineapple, berries and so on, or crunchy veggies like bell peppers, cabbage, broccoli, cucumbers, carrots and so on. Therefore, preparing light summer salads can be the best way to follow this valuable recommendation. You can add a little of your favorite nuts (like cashews, hazelnuts, walnuts, etc.) and dress your salad with a little of lemon juice and high quality vegetable oil.       

                                                      

Do not forget about the greens – probably, the best summer foods. They have very high nutritional value and are packed with useful natural minerals and microelements. For example, spinach is rich in iron and has very low calories, and lettuce can be an excellent source of vitamin C. Add parsley, lettuce, rocket salad, spinach, and other your favorite greens to your salad, and benefit from a high nutritional content and therapeutic powers of these gifts of our Mother Nature.

my 10 favorite filipino foods

Adobo

 

Adobo is considered a national dish. It is a stew of pork, chicken or both cooked in soy sauce, garlic, vinegar, whole peppercorns, and bay leaf. The meat is simmered in the liquid until it is reduced and the meat is tender. Shellfish and some vegetables can also be cooked this way.

Sinigang

 

Sinigang is a local dish using a variety of meats, fish and shellfish cooked in a sour broth with kamote tops, kangkong, sitaw (string beans), okra, wing beans, banana hearts, taro roots, sliced eggplants and radish. The acidity can come from tamarind, green mangoes, guavas, santol, kamias, young tamarind leaves. Miso and mustard leaves are used for fish sinigang.

Lechon

Lechon or litson is a sought-after food during special occasions. A suckling pig is skewered in a bamboo pole and roasted manually over hot coals until the skin turns reddish brown and crisp, and the meat tender. It is served in a thick dipping sauce made from chicken and pork livers, vinegar, sugar and spices. La Loma in Quezon City is known as the lechon capital.

Kare-kare

Kare-kare is a Filipino stew made from beef chunks, tripe, oxtail and a variety of vegetables. The meat is boiled until tender then mixed with roasted peanuts and rice/sticky rice, ground to a fine powder that thickens the sauce and gives it the unique flavor. Nowadays, peanut butter is used in place of the ground peanuts and rice. The saltiness is derived from the sautéed shrimp paste (bagoong) that is served with it.

Menudo 

Menudo is a staple dish served as everyday fare or during family gatherings. The Filipino version is a mix of diced pork liver, pork, onions, tomatoes, potatoes, carrots, red and green bell peppers and raisins. The rich sauce is thickened with tomato sauce/paste. Cubed chorizo de bilbao and chickpeas can be added for a richer flavor.

5. Crispy Pata

Crispy pata means deep fried pata with a crunchy rind and soft and moist meat inside. Pata is the front or hind leg of the pig. In the Philippines, that means the leg and the trotters (knuckles).

Kaldereta

Kaldereta is traditionally cooked with goat meat. Nowadays, various meats can be used. The meat is boiled until tender and slowly cooked with a very thick sauce made from minced onions, garlic and tomatoes and ground pepper. The spiciness of the dish varies. Cubes of potatoes and carrots are sometimes added for variety.

Nilaga

Nilaga literally means boiled. Pork, chicken or beef/beef shanks are boiled in plenty of water until very tender. Cabbage, potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, leeks, corn, saba, petchay, whole peppercorns and chick peas are added for a flavorful broth. Nilaga is eaten with fish sauce or a mashed salad of boiled or broiled eggplants and squash in vinegar, pepper, garlic, salt and sugar.

Tinapang Bangus

A whole bangus (milkfish) is sliced in half, the gills and innards removed. Some makers remove the bones. The fish is marinated in salt and water, drained and cooked in a pressure cooker then dried under the sun before smoking to complete the cooking process. Oil is applied to the skin that gives it a shiny texture. Freshly made tinapang bangus are ready to eat or you can fry it until the skin is crisp.

Pancit

Pancit or pansit is a Chinese-influence dish served as a main course or snack. Rice noodles, vermicelli, canton noodles and other dried noodles are stir-fried together with thinly-sliced pork, pork liver or chicken and cabbage, Baguio beans and carrots. Calamansi or other acids are served with pancit to complement the taste.

10 Most Delicious Filipino Desserts

          Simply Delectable Desserts in the Philippine                        

                                          

Filipino desserts possibly have something really important to do with the generally sweet nature of most Filipinos.

Notwithstanding typhoons, earthquakes and countless difficulties of living in the Philippines, Filipinos almost always find solace, if not joy, in Filipino desserts.

As sugary as the Filipinos’ character and as rich as their culture, Filipino desserts come in different sizes, colors, and presentations.

They are usually served in the Philippines as the last part of the meal, giving Filipinos a sense of fullness they need to go on working for the rest of the day.

They are also eaten for merienda or the customary snacks eaten in-between breakfast and lunch or lunch and dinner.

Oftentimes, though, they are eaten randomly, satisfying the Filipino indulgence for something simply sinful yet heavenly, sweet yet yummy.

There are plenty of mouthwatering Filipino desserts that it is quite impossible to include them all in just one list. Below, however, are possibly the most delicious Filipino desserts.  1.      Leche Flan

 

Arguably the superstar among the heavenly Filipino desserts is leche flan, a sweet, rich, and luscious Filipino dessert similar to the world renowned crème caramel.

Leche flan is commonly served during special occasions in the Philippines like fiesta or feasts,Pasko or Christmas, and Bagong Taon or New Year.

This Filipino dessert is prepared by mixing and steaming egg yolks, sugar, evaporated milk, and condensed milk in medium-sized oval-shaped aluminum pans called llanera.

As simple as the ingredients seem, cooking up the perfect – smooth in texture, syrupy, chrome yellowish in color – leche flan, however, requires plenty of practice and plain expertise.

2.      Halo-Halo

In the ruthless heat of the tropical Philippine weather, Filipinos count on one divine Filipino dessert to keep them cool – halo-halo.

In fact, in the unforgiving summer days in the Philippines in the months of April and May, every other neighborhood street corner is likely to have its own halo-halo stand.

Halo-halo got its name from the word local word halo, which means “mix.”

To make halo-halo, Filipinos mix shaved ice; sugar; varied sweetened fruits like beans, garbanzos, sugar palm fruit, sweet potato, silky coconut, banana-like plantain, corn, mung beans, and jackfruit; and other ingredients like coconut gelatin, agar-agar gelatin, and tapioca pearls.

The whole concoction is then topped off with leche flan, haleya ube, sorbetes, pounded crushed young rice, and evaporated milk.

Halo-halo is usually served in tall glasses or large bowls.

3. Sorbetes

Popularly peddled in the street of the Philippines is the Filipino dessert sorbetes, the Philippine adaptation of the world-popular ice cream.

Unlike most ice creams, however, sorbetes is made from local coconut milk and not the usual cow’s or animal’s milk.

Sorbetes comes in different flavors – mango, cheese, chocolate, ube or purple yam, and strawberry – and colors – yellow, brown, violet, and pink.

It is served in wafer or sugar cones, cups and even in bread buns.

4. Puto Bumbong and Bibingka

                        

Inescapably linked with the Christmas season are the Filipino desserts bibingkaand puto bumbong, which Filipinos feast on after attending the traditional Catholic midnight masses that precede Christmas day.

What makes these Filipino desserts special is that they are loved by people from all walks of life. They are sold as street foods in the Philippines to cater to the common people but also offered as a treat in five-star hotels and high-end restaurants for well-heeled customers.

Bibingka is primarily made of rice flour, coconut milk, and water, which are placed in banana leaf-lined terra cotta containers that are then heated on coals.

Puto bumbong, on the other hand, is steamed glutinous rice – puto – that is cooked in bamboo cylinders – bumbong.

5. Pastillas de Leche and Yema

Lovable, small and dairy Filipino desserts often prepared as candies, yema and pastillas de leche are influences of the Spaniards who stayed in the Philippines for over 300 years.

Yema is custard candy made of condensed milk, egg yolk, and sometimes butter. Its ingredients are simply heated, mixed, and then cooled.

Pastillas de leche, on the other end, is made by boiling milk and sugar together until they are thick. It is then cooled and formed into mini logs by hand before being rolled into sugar.

Both Filipino desserts can be individually packed in paper or cellophane.

6. Ginataan or Guinataan

Made with gata or coconut milk, ginataan refers to various kinds of dessert and viands. Thus, its literal translation in English is “made with coconut milk.”

The most popular among the many kinds of ginataan is ginataang halo-halo, a dessert that is a mixture of coconut milk, sugar, sweet potato, taro, purple yam, plantain, jack fruit and tapioca pearls.

Ginataang halo-halo is best served hot during the Philippines’ rainy season.

7. Mango Float

This frozen Filipino dessert features one of the most popular and well-loved fruits in the Philippines – mango!

Mango float is made by stacking up as many layers of classic graham crackers, thinly sliced mangoes, and condensed milk as possible in a rectangular container.

It is then chilled until it becomes frozen.

8. Ube Halaya

Ube or purple yam grows abundantly throughout the Philippine archipelago and so Filipino try to make use of it as much as possible. They make them into desserts called ube halaya.

Ube halaya is prepared by boiling, peeling, and grating purple yam. The grated meat is then placed in a pan over low heat, continuously mixed with fresh and evaporated milk, and then flavored with sugar.

The resulting texture is sticky and rich, excellent enough to be a favorite dessert

9. Buko Pie

                 

Buko or coconut is abundantly grown in the Philippines and has served so many uses, one of which is being used as an ingredient for desserts.

A traditional Filipino dessert of baked young coconut pie is buko pie, which is made with coconut meat.

Unlike other pies, buko pie does not have custard fillings or meringue swirls. It, however, uses condensed milk, making it absolutely thick and filling.

10. Sans Rival

A Filipino dessert that literally means “without rival” is sans rival or sansrival, a flavorsome frozen treat that is made of alternate layers of crispy meringue and buttercream and then topped off with cashew nuts.

This Filipino dessert, yummy as it is, can be a bit complicated to prepare and therefore requires some practice to make.