Popular Cebu street foods

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu City, labeled as the Queen City of the South, is known for its beautiful tourist destinations. It also has its distinct culinary signatures. The Cebu Lechon, for example, has earned the accolade as "the best pig in the world!"

Yet aside from the fare usually served to visitors to the city, Cebu has its own set of favorites among the locals - the Cebu street foods. These popular foods are not the creations chefs in posh hotel restaurants but by street vendors. The street treats range from spicy, sweet to exotic.

Street foods are found practically everywhere in the city - outside school campuses, beside churches, at street corners, at jeepney or bus terminals, everywhere. The popularity is perhaps partly due to the fact that these foods are widely available. And street foods have the winning combination - good taste and affordable price!

Especially at night, the city streets bustle with vendors offering various street foods. Customers quickly gather, and soon everyone is munching something. This is particularly so at the night market in the city's busy Colon Street.

Ginabot

Ginabot has been a tradition street food in the city.  It is actually what is known as "chicharon bulaklak" in Manila - pork intestine deep-fried crispy to crackle in the mouth when eaten. Like most fried street foods, it is best enjoyed when dipped in spicy and flavorful sauce of red chili, onions and vinegar.

Saang

Saang or conch shells are cooked by boiling it. Then vendors use hammer to break the shell, take out the meat, and skewers it with a stick. The sight of saang on stick skewers somewhat intimidates some, but others who have tried it are easily addicted to the unique taste, especially with spicy vinegar as dip.

Kwek-kwek

Kwek-kwek is one of the more recent favorites among both children and adults. It is quail egg covered with an orange batter and deep-fried. Children prefer the sweet sauce for the dip, while most adults choose spicy one.

Beneath the attraction of tasty food at very affordable prices, however, is the question of sanitation. Street food is street food. The caution applies: Customers beware!

Tuslob Buwà

Tuslob Buwà is, without doubt, one of the hottest food crazes to ever hit city. The exotic fare consists of pusô (rice cooked in small containers made from coconut leaves) a bubbly dip made from shrimp paste, pig brain, onions, fish sauce, cooking oil and an assortment of spices. The unique thing about it is that it is best enjoyed when shared by bunch of friends. The name is derived from the local word "tuslob," meaning to dip and "buwà," meaning "bubbles." 3

Balut

The night staple in major cities of the country is here in Cebu too. Balut vendors roam the streets of Cebu to the great delight of balut lovers. This famous and exotic night snack looks like an ordinary white egg when intact, but once the shell is opened it reveals a small, underdeveloped duck embryo. Balut lovers enjoy it with little salt or chili, garlic and vinegar. They believe it to be an aphrodisiac. (FREEMAN)