Pedestrian Delights
Street foods are
popular nowadays not only because these are tasty but mainly because these
are cheap and can easily take care of hunger. From sweet, sour, spicy,
salty, to hot or cold, name it and you can find it in the streets of Davao
and other cities and towns.
By Grace Uddin
davaotoday.com
Posted by Bulatlat
DAVAO CITY
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It was one fine late afternoon when I was window shopping when two
friends, Chim and Mai-Mai, spotted me. They were off to catch a last
full-show that night; they asked me to join them. But before watching the
movie, we decided to have some kwek-kwek.
Outside the mall, out
in the street, several people were crowding around a small table with two
men busy frying kwek-kwek or what others call tokneneng.
It’s actually flour-coated hard-boiled egg, fried, then dipped in salt and
vinegar. It costs only 6 pesos but quite filling, which is probably why it
is a favorite in these hard times.
|
ALL OVER THE BIG
CITY: Davao City is filled with all sorts of stalls selling street
foods, like that of this woman selling banana cue.
DAVAOTODAY.COM PHOTO
|
Kwek-kwek
is just one of the many street foods people can find in Davao City.
Street foods are popular nowadays not only because these are tasty but
mainly because these are cheap and can easily take care of hunger. From
sweet, sour, spicy, salty, to hot or cold, name it and you can find it in
the streets of Davao and other cities and towns.
Street foods are
already part of Philippine culture. Like in other Asian countries, it has
become a way of life. Urbanization and poor socio-economic conditions in
countries such as ours have paved the way for the proliferation of these
businesses.
Selling street foods
does not entail large capital. The income vendors derive from their
business is just average, just enough for their daily needs. It’s part of
the so-called underground economy that has provided jobs, especially for
women. It is particularly helpful in times like these when the economy is
not doing so well and when unemployment is at 12 percent, the highest in
Southeast Asia.
Friends like Chim and
Mai are avid eaters of street food. According to them, they eat whenever
and wherever those edibles are available. “It’s still food. Besides, the
price is affordable and it’s fun eating it,” Chim said.
Aside from
kwek-kwek, here’s a sample of those delicious and yummy delicacies
that you can find in the streets of Davao:
Fish balls.
Those tiny balls made of flour and fish bits, dipped in sweet, sour and
hot sauces, are mouth-watering. Some people say that fish balls are not
exactly sanitary, but what a cruel thing to say about something that
tastes so good and feels so right? Yum!
Hot cakes.
These are so hot you gotta be careful
before devouring a piece. It costs 3 pesos each but you buy two for 5
pesos.
Turon na ube,
maruya, turon na saging, pinaypay, ginanggang.
However you want your bananas (and your yam), you get the same perfect
merienda.
Buko, orange,
gulaman. Perfect quenchers
after a feast on the street.
Fruits on stick
(papaya, pineapple, mango, hebe).
Who says you can’t get that glowing skin
for a cheaper price? Take fresh, rich in vitamin C fruits for only 5 pesos
per pack.
Waffle.
Comes with different fillings, like
cheese and hotdog.
Sinugbang mais and
boiled peanuts. All-time
favorites!
Dirty ice cream
and ice milk. Melts in your
mouth! Can be enjoyed in different flavors: durian, mango, strawberry and
chocolate.
Durian.
The infamous “smells like hell, tastes like heaven” delicacy that makes it
one of Davao’s finest.
Balut.
That chick! (Actually, it’s chicken embryo.) Yuck! Eeww! I don’t
understand any of those 16 days or 18 days that the vendors often say when
you buy balut but, according to the oldies, balut is
excellent, pampatibay ng tuhod.
Taho.
This reminds me of Chyla, Chim’s little sister. This mix of bean curd,
arnibal (that blackish sweet sauce), and sago has enabled the two of us to
put up with Chim’s long hours of soccer practice. I love taho more than
any street food.
Cotton candy.
Soft, colorful, sweet cotton-like candy that makes one feel like a child
again.
Barbecue (chicken
gizzard, intestines, etc.). You
can find lots of this in Malativas or in any roadside stall, along with
other finger foods like chicken skin, barbecue chicken, pork barbecue,
etc. Best for pulutan or with steaming rice. davaotoday.com/Posted
by Bulatlat
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