Top 5 Filipino Street Food Sweets

Maruya are the famous Filipino banana fritters which consist of sliced or mashed bananas that are dusted with flour, battered, then fried until crispy. The fritters are usually made with Filipino saba bananas and can come in various forms which are often served lightly dusted with sugar. They are most commonly eaten as a light snack, sweet breakfast, or a filling afternoon dessert. These fritters are a favorite among children and can often be found at street stalls throughout the country.Expand

Taho is a sweet Filipino dessert which consists of fresh soft tofu doused in arnibal syrup and sprinkled with plump sago pearls. Similar desserts can be found in numerous Asian countries, and most of them call for the usage of the softest tofu variety, known as silky tofu, which has a tender and creamy texture and an incredibly soft consistency. Shortly heated or steamed, it is covered in sweet arnibal syrup (made with melted brown sugar) and enriched with mild vanilla flavors. Usually, the dessert is topped with chewy sago pearls which are similar in appearance and texture to tapioca. Taho is usually sold by street vendors who sell this traditional delicacy in the early morning as a sweet, protein-packed breakfast.Expand

Espasol is a soft, chewy Filipino rice cake prepared with a combination of toasted glutinous rice flour and grated green coconut that is slowly cooked in coconut milk. The mixture turns into soft, pliable dough that is shaped into long cylinders or triangles before each cake is coated in rice flour. Espasol is associated with the Laguna region, where it is a hailed as a local specialty that is usually bought at various restaurants, stores, and street stalls.Expand

One of the most popular sweet snacks in the Philipines is banana cue, made by deep-frying saba bananas which are generously coated in a thick layer of caramelized sugar. Because they are usually enjoyed as street food, the sweet bananas are often served on bamboo skewers. The unusual name stems from the term barbecue since caramelized bananas resemble pieces of golden-brown grilled meat. This Filipino classic is usually sold at street stands and enjoyed as a satisfying dessert or a quick afternoon snack.Expand

Ginanggang is a traditional dessert, snack, and street food originating from the island of Mindanao. It consists of skewered and grilled bananas that are brushed with margarine and sprinkled with sugar. The bananas used for ginanggang are of the sabá variety and they are usually grilled over charcoal. The slower it's grilled, the better it will be because the inside will cook slowly and it won't become mushy. This popular street food can be enjoyed at the Ginanggang Festival that's celebrated every second Sunday in May in the town of Tubod.Expand