Last Updated: November 12, 2021
Best Filipino Snacks
Filipino cuisine is having its time in the spotlight. With the foodie scene becoming more global and inclusive, people are discovering the richness and burst of flavor found in Filipino dishes. It’s not just in dishes, however. Many Filipinos’ love for food go into snacks, too.
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Best Filipino Snacks
For a nation that eats more than three times a day, Filipino snacks are a staple in every household. From the common to the exotic, here are some of the most iconic Filipino snacks to try:
Dried Mangoes
Philippine mangoes are one of a kind. Sweet and succulent, good as a fruit, a dessert, or a delicacy. It’s not something you can find all year round, however. Dried mangoes are one of the most popular Filipino snacks and souvenirs in the Philippines. They have all the goodness of Philippine mangoes in candied form.
Green Mangoes
Just as much as Filipinos love the sweet ripe mangoes, green mangoes also have a special place in their hearts. The most popular variant is the Carabao mango, which can be very sour and firm with a satisfying crisp. To counter the sourness, green mangoes are usually eaten with bagoong (shrimp paste) or rock salt, which is sometimes spiced up with bird’s eye chilis.
Fish balls and Squid balls
Sure, you can buy fish and squid balls from the supermarket. However, the most authentic way to enjoy these afternoon favorites are from a vendor off the street. Fish and squid balls are made from a puree of fish and squid.
On the street, vendors have large vats of hot oil where they dump hundreds of these little balls. Customers take a bamboo skewer and help themselves, piling three, four, or five balls in one stick. It comes with a side of sweet and spicy sauce made from soy sauce and sugar.
Kwek-Kwek
Kwek-kwek is deep-fried quail egg in orange-colored batter and is another street food staple. It’s usually sold with the squid and fish balls on the street, eaten the same way, and sometimes eaten with the same sauce.
Turon
Turon is an easy Filipino snack to have and make. It’s ripe saba bananas (sometimes with jackfruit) rolled in a flour wrapper, drizzled with sugar, and deep-fried.
Banana Cue
Another derivative of the saba banana, the banana cue is a simpler but just as tasty Filipino snack. The bananas are simply skewered and coated in sugar before being grilled (hence “cue”) or deep-fried.
Taho
Part of every small-town Filipino childhood is hearing the unmistakable call of “Tahoooo!” from the streets. Taho is mainly silken tofu with sugar syrup and sago (tapioca balls), although there are now many variations of this. Traditionally, taho is sold by street vendors who roam around towns with huge aluminum canisters of taho on their shoulders.
Halo-halo
Image courtesy of Gunawan Haryanto
Probably one of the most popular Filipino snacks, the halo-halo is a summer must-have. And since the Philippines is a tropical country, it’s practically summer all year round! Halo-halo literally means “mix-mix”, so this snack is a combination of a lot of things – beans, jelly, coconut, flan, ice cream, and other textured and crunchy ingredients, doused with crushed ice and evaporated milk.
Choc Nut
Many childhood memories in the Philippines is filled with dreams of Choc Nut. A milk chocolate covered, peanut filled bar of goodness any child can’t possibly reist!
Clover Chips
Another popular Filipino snack are these clover-shaped potato chips which can be seen in the hands of many a Filipino! Sure, they may sound just like any old potato chips you have at home, but give them a try.
Boy Bawang
Boy Bawang is a great snack that comes in a variety of flavors but anyone in the Philippines will tell you that garlic is the only way to try it.
Chicharon
Filipinos love pork, and no part goes to waste. Chicharon is best consumed with beer but can be a snack any time of the day. It’s deep-fried pork rind, resulting in a puffy, crunchy, porky snack. There are also two versions – the regular pork rind, or the one with “laman” or a strip of fat. Dip it in spiced vinegar and you’ll never want to stop munching.
Dirty Ice Cream
Another iconic Filipino image you will find is an ice cream man pushing a colorful wooden cart. Inside is creamy ice cream in different flavors, commonly ube, cheese, and chocolate. Nowadays, you can get newer flavors like avocado and cookies, and cream. The name “dirty ice cream” comes from the fact that it’s sold on the streets in rickety old carts, but the ice cream is just as tasty as you can imagine.
Pancit Canton
Noodles are a staple in the Filipino diet, but pancit canton is a crowd favorite. Pancit canton is a traditional dish with flour stick noodles, as well as meat and vegetable toppings.
However, it’s also a popular instant noodle-type snack – just cook the noodles and toss them in the spice packets. You can have pancit canton as a full meal depending on your appetite, but it’s best enjoyed with a side of warm pandesal (local bread roll) and a drizzle of calamansi (local lime).
Kakanin
Image courtesy of Wikimedia
As a nation that loves rice, it’s almost a must to have it in snack form, too. “Kakanin” is a collective term for Philippine delicacies, usually desserts, made with glutinous rice or glutinous flour and coconut milk.
There’s a huge variety to choose from, the most popular of which are sapin-sapin, made of layered glutinous flour in different flavors, bibingkang malagkit, glutinous sticky rice topped with caramel sauce, and suman, glutinous rice cooked in banana leaves.
What’s for merienda?
Merienda is the Filipinos’ fourth meal – the time between lunch and dinner made specially to enjoy all these amazing snacks. The Philippines has a long list of snacks to try out, so get munching!
About the Author Anna Timbrook
Anna is the co-owner of expert world travel and can't wait to share her travel experience with the world. With over 54 countries under her belt she has a lot to write about! Including those insane encounters with black bears in Canada.
