| From L-R: Kwek-kwek
at its finest:newly cooked and swimming in vinegar; Can't beat the
taste of sweet, salty, spicy fish cracker; Healthful spring rolls
more known as Lumpiang Gulay, ready for chow; A Pearl shake up-close:
cold, creamy, luscious sago in this fruity delight; savoring refreshing
pearl shakes, these people are proof of the pearl shake phenomenon!
THE PINOY APPETITE
February 2001
If you think you've had your share of
Pinoy food in the Philippines before you left for abroad, think again.
Besides fishballs and adidas, the Pinoy taste has a lot more to offer.
Herewith, an update on the latest Pinoy eating habits.
· Kwek-kwek.
Also called "tukneneng," this ball made of quail
eggs and some orange batter is best eaten with lots of vinegar. Larger version
of this, made of the not-so-ordinary chicken egg, is more popularly known as "tuknanay."
· Lala.
Seemingly some plain kropek, (the crunchy finger-food
made with lots of MSG), this "pika-pika" boasts of a semi- spicy, semi-sweet and
semi-salty taste enough to satisfy craving tastebuds. Costs like all other junk
food and found in everybody's sari-sari store.
· Lumpiang gulay.This is a mixture
of been sprouts and shredded cabbage, sometimes with a little ground pork, wrapped
in the ever reliable lumpia wrapper and deep fried in vegetable oil. Best served
with vinegar and some "siling labuyo" for a spicy treat.
· Ultra-small cookies.Even cookies
are shrinking these days. The same old satisfying flavor packaged in bite-sizes
for an easier pop-in-the-mouth crunch without the unwanted crumbs. Great for traveling
and for killing time. Comes in different brands and found in many supermarkets.
· Instant everything.Inspired by
the classic no-cook noodles, these instant food were developed for the Filipino-on-the-go.
From "pancit canton", to "yakisoba", to (believe it or not) all kinds of pouridge
such as "champorado," "aroz caldo," and even "guinataang mais" these no-effort
"quickies" allow Pinoys to savor the flavors they crave for right away. Found
in all supermarkets and very affordable.
· Pearl shakes.They call it pearl
shakes because of the "pearls" in the "shake." These pearls used to be called
"sago" or "tapioca," wrapped in sweet luscious black syrup, swimming in an icy,
creamy drink. Sometimes mixed with "crystals" (or more known as nata-de-coco),
it runs down your throat slowly, cooling all hot vibes. Available in all sorts
of fruity and chocolatey, (even coffee) shake flavors, this is the newest food-trip
to hit the country.
So the next time somebody from Pinas plans to drop you a visit, consider
asking any of these as pasalubong (if they get across customs). Try them
out for yourself and quit wondering why these people back home truly love
food like this. You actually don't know what you're missing.=)
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