the maynila street food philosophy

Fry anything, everybody’s eating it. This is the philosophy behind street food that has been successful since post World War Manila. If they don’t, they perish and evaporate into merely just a memory. Sadly, the tongue has no initiative to recall flavors unaided.

Balut is said to be the King of Pinoy street food. But if you look around, a lot of streets have other snackables enthroned and not the balut. Penoy is arguably the new King of Pinoy street food. It has transformed from being a poor, bland second to an orange ball of deep-fried goodness called “Kwek-kwek.”

Following the success of the Penoy’s new image, every forgettable thing has been dressed and dunked in batter, and deep-fried. Quail’s eggs which used to be packed in tubes of ice candy wrappers are now shelled and made into baby kwek-kweks.

Grilled isaw is passé as these skewered chicken intestines are now also coated in batter and browned in vats of hot, frying oil. Classic pulutan favorites like chicken skin and calamares, too, have invaded the realm outside bars and beer places, this time, cheaper to survive the street food cartel. They are served in plastic cups with vinegar.

There is character in street food that dot pedestrian Manila despite the hazards that deep-frying poses to health. But oh well, who says you’re eating it everyday? If you want these street food to stay, have them fried and they’ll sell like hotcak--no--kwek kweks.