Yummy dirt: Filipino Street Foods

kwek-kwek, fishballs, squidballs, kikiams

            We Filipinos are known to enjoy the average of three meals in a day plus desserts or “merienda” as we call it. Filipinos are known for being genuine; we can make up almost everything especially with food. New, cheap and good tasting street foods are the best proof of Filipinos’ ingenuity. We can always fill hungry stomachs wherever we go.

All over the country, with the different kinds of “dirty food” offered to everyone, we can’t just help but eat. Let’s take a tour to the homes of Filipinos, the business and livelihood of our fellowmen, and a good leisure time for a world so stressing yet still wonderful.

            Eating will never be complete without someone to share it with. Some prefer to cook this, fishballs, isaws, quek-quek an more, dirty food at home for it to turn as a clean one but some still prefer to have it just the way it is, dirty. 

Indeed a simple house turns into a home once each member shares the same thought. Who can forget birthday parties with barbeques, ice cream cones or sometimes having marshmallows sticked together with a hotdog? With these, Filipino street foods are still considered street food; the only difference is that you know for sure that it’s safe.

banana que, dried squids, corn cobs

            Filipinos are good businessmen; they can make use of a small capital and develop it into a huge business. Food carts are one of the hottest and the fast emerging marketing ventures these days. Everybody gets hungry and almost everyone’s in a hurry that is why these food carts are very accessible. The consumers are mostly students, office people, and ordinary citizens who don’t have time lining up for a P80 or P90 meal and hurrying just to get a table.

Accessibility is not the only reason why more and more Filipinos patronize street food, it’s very reasonable price that range from a peso until the last coin you have inside your purse is also one. The affordability of these foods makes life less stressful despite of problems.

            Street foods does not let breakfast be skipped, rolling food carts of “hot mami”, “lugaw” and “hot monay”.

barbeque, isaw

There are also “kakanins” freshly cooked and wrapped to go, but the most famous one is the ever nutritious, delicious and cheap “taho”.

During lunch time, an easy way to spend minutes of break is to drop by to “carinderias” and eat a complete and cheap meal, 1 vegetable with 1 meat and rice with a free banana.

samalamigs

In the rush office hours, workers will not have to wait just to find a table to settle or fall in a long line for an expensive meal. No one can stand up all day without having “merienda”, people rush on streets to satisfy their hunger through their favourite street food like the famous fishballs, kikiams, squidballs dipped to delicious sweet-sour and spicy sauce. Another is the very cute eggs wrapped on the orange flour dipped on vinegar with cucumber and chilli, “kwek-kwek” as we call it.

Exotic street foos are also evident like “adiddas”, “isaw”, “walkman”, “helmet” and even a one day old chick.

Students, “tambays” or just anyone who feels the need to fill up their stomachs consumes these foods.

Lastly, the last meal of the day, dinner is a bonding time for families and friends. “Balut” for example is a common viand for Filipino families. In fact, it is a delicacy everyone knows because “Balut” vendor on the street giving an attention getting sound of “balut... balut...”

sorbetes

Indeed, Filipino street foods can be consumed all day round because of its accessibility and affordability.

            Filipinos really love eating. We can indulge anywhere, anytime and with anyone. Filipino street food is the solution to food problems. The infamous street foods is the most affordable, most accessible and most satisfying way not only to feed growling stomachs but also to evidently show how Filipino we are by loving our own and promoting it to top all other.