Balut, kwek-kwek & other Philippine street food
I should have blogged about this more than a month ago during our first culinary trip to Pampanga but somehow the pictures got lost in my archives. At the Nepo Mart in Angeles City, I saw several carts of street food which is perhaps one of the biggest to be gathered in one place I’d seen. What’s good about these stalls is that people flock to them like flies because they’re cheap, they can ease your hunger pangs for a few pesos and some people seem to believe that the dirtier, the better (these places just have pails of water to wash the dishes, spoons and such. Ewww.)
Above is the picture of one of the most famous Philippine street food, balut. I could never call myself a true-blue Filipino or foodie because I’ve never tasted balut. I just couldn’t imagine myself eating day-old chick..yet. Balut is the premature embryo of a chick that is boiled then eaten in its shell. You are supposed to sip the broth first, then peel the egg to eat the yolk and the day-old chick. According to Wikipedia, balut is a delicacy that’s not unique to the Philippines. It’s also found in China, Cambodia and Vietnam.
Hard-boiled eggs (dipped in salt) and kwek-kwek or quail eggs dipped in orange-y batter are the other egg variations of the Filipino street food.
Because this is Asia, noodles are a common street fare. Here, they’re usually topped with bits of meat, liver, vegetables like cabbage, green onions, garlic and finally topped with slices of boiled egg.
Other Chinese-inspired variations of Philippine street food include squid balls, quekiam, siopao or meat buns and siomai (dumplings).
Fried chicken is popular everywhere and hereabouts, every chicken part – from the neck to the legs – is dipped in tasty breading then deep-fried to cholesterol goodness.
Other popular chicken fare include the grilled chicken feet or “adidas” as well as “isaw” or grilled chicken intestine. They share the limelight with other unique Filipino names for street food like the “Betamax” or grilled pork blood and the “Walkman” or grilled pig’s ears.
Other Pinoy street food we can’t live without: bananacue ( saba bananas fried in molasses), turon, lumpiang togue (vegetable spring roll), the soya-based taho, pansit, peanuts. Add your favorites to this list.
Blogging since 2004 and recently married to Mr Z. I can't live without coffee....and brown sugar.
AJ,
Anton and I are planning on October 28 for Pampanga 3.
how does your sked look like for that Saturday?
and where’s that broadcast journalist…
still under the rock she’s hiding in?
hahahaha
Hi Spanx. I’ll confirm two weeks before. I was kinda looking for your customary email to go with this invite, heheh.
I’ll have to find you another one if Ms. BJ (a.k.a. Broadcast Journalist) is hiding under a rock as you said.
I hate sisiw!
Yes, you’re right. There’s also balut in Cambodia. I don’t want to eat it here though because there’s birdflu among ducks.
thanks 4 the info about balut, i didn’t know that balut is premature embrayo of a chick.(yakkk) ganoon ka-brutal! i don’t feel like eating balut anymore.
my favorite street food was bola-bola:)))hmmm yummmy…
i’ve eaten balut but i’ve never tried the kwek-kwek. hehe
Pardon the pun, but it seems most people don’t acquire the taste for sisiw in the same way that ducks take to water
Toe, I wonder if the balut in Cambodia is cooked/prepared the same as ours..
Good that you’ve eaten balut Jaypee. I wonder if they smuggle it into the US… probably nooot,hehe
I only drink the sabaw and eat the yolk. The sisiw, I give to somebody else.
Don’t care for a “dugo-cue” or a “ulo ng manok”? Masarap rin !
Hi Irene. Maybe I’ll try what you do sometime and forget there is ever a chick inside;)
Sidney, I think the dugo cue is called the “Betamax” and the ulo ng manok is well…you certainly are more Filipino than me since you tried all these things
@ajay – i think i’ve seen balut in some oriental or filipino stores here in Cali. they do ship them for our kababayans here.
@sidney – ajay is right, it’s called the “betamax” and i forgot what the chicken is called. but for me, i would never try to eat the betamax mainly coz it’s made of blood.
Meron pa silang tinitinda na “day-old chick.” Di ko makakayang kainin iyon, kakaawa rin tulad ng balut.
Hi Lani. Is a day old chick different from the balut? I like eating chicken, but not when I have to eat it whole…aaargh:)
Check out an interesting article on Filipino Street Food on http://www.filipinodeserts.net and http://www.filipino-foods.com. I love kwek2x and isaw. They’re the best!