Recipe collection

Filipino Merienda

Merienda is the pause between meals when Filipinos reach for something sweet, steamed, or fried. This collection groups the snacks that show up at school gates, office breaks, and Sunday afternoons.

Ilonggo

Piaya

Piaya sang Negros

Ilonggo piaya—thin muscovado-filled flatbreads griddled until golden with dark caramel spots; the Negros pasalubong best with barako coffee.

Ilocano

Empanada Ilocos

Empanada ng Ilocos

Ilocos empanada—crisp orange rice-flour shells filled with longganisa, bean sprouts, egg, and papaya; the Vigan street food fried golden and

Tagalog

Pork and Shrimp Siomai

Siomai

Filipino pork and shrimp siomai with shiitake mushrooms, steamed open-faced in bamboo baskets and served with soy-calamansi dipping sauce.

Tagalog

Puto

Putong Bigas

Steamed puto in a bamboo steamer—fluffy rice cakes with cheese, salted egg, and niyog toppings (Puto Biñan style).

Tagalog

Bibingka

Bibingkang Galapong

Christmas bibingka on charred banana leaf—moist rice cake topped with salted egg, melted cheese, and fresh grated...

Tagalog

Turon (Banana Lumpia)

Turon

Filipino turon—saba banana in lumpia wrapper with shattered brown-sugar caramel crust; langka optional, served on banana...

Tagalog

Halo-Halo

Halong Samalamig

Street-style halo-halo with kaong, macapuno, sago, gulaman, beans, ube, leche flan, and pinipig—the classic Filipino...

Tagalog

Leche Flan

Leche Flan na Inihaw

Classic Filipino leche flan—silky yolk custard in a llanera with glossy amber caramel, steamed until set and flipped...

Tagalog

Mango Float

Mango Float (Refrigerated Cake)

No-bake mango float—layers of graham crackers, whipped cream, and ripe Carabao mango, chilled until the crackers turn cake-soft; the most se

Tagalog

Lumpiang Sariwa

Lumpiang Sariwa (Fresh Lumpia)

Lumpiang sariwa—thin egg crepes rolled around julienned vegetables, garbanzos, and pork, topped with thick sweet garlic sauce and crushed pe

Tagalog

Ube Halaya

Halayang Ube (Purple Yam Jam)

Authentic ube halaya—grated purple yam stirred low and slow in pandan coconut milk until jam-thick, finished with butter and golden latik; t

Tagalog

Ube Cheese Pandesal

Ube Cheese Pandesal (Lilang Ube na May Keju)

Homemade ube cheese pandesal—fluffy purple yam rolls with a cheese pull that stops traffic; the Filipino bakery trend worth every minute of

Tagalog

Ginataang Bilo-Bilo

Ginataang Bilo-Bilo (Bilo-Bilo sa Gata)

Ginataang bilo-bilo with ube and white sticky rice balls, sago, langka, and kamote in creamy coconut milk—the rainy-afternoon merienda that'

Tagalog

Champorado

Champorado (Tsokolate at Kanin)

Filipino champorado—creamy chocolate glutinous rice porridge with tablea, served with dried fish; the rainy-morning breakfast Filipinos defe

Tagalog

Cassava Cake

Cassava Cake (Kakanin na May Leche Flan Topping)

Filipino cassava cake with coconut milk and a golden caramelized custard topping, sliced into squares and topped with toasted coconut—the No

Tagalog

Kwek Kwek

Kwek-Kwek (Deep-Fried Battered Quail Eggs)

Homemade kwek-kwek—quail eggs in achuete-orange batter with sweet-spicy vinegar sauce; the street-food merienda that looks radioactive and t

Tagalog

Fish Balls

Fishball (Prito sa Cart)

Filipino fish balls from scratch with sweet-spicy-sour cart sauces; chewy, fried, and dunked the way the street uncle intended.

Tagalog

Ukoy

Ukoy (Shrimp Fritters)

Crispy Filipino ukoy—shrimp, togue, and carrots fried into lacy fritters with vinegar-garlic dip; street-food crunch you can make at home.