Taho, Maruya, Espasol among '2023 Best Street Food Sweets' in the world
MANILA, Philippines — A handful of sweet Filipino delicacies made it to TasteAtlas' "50 Best Rated Street Food Sweets in the World."
The online site is a popular food guide that catalogs traditional dishes, ingredients and restaurants around the globe.
Included in the said list are Laguna's Espasol at 44th, Maruya at 27th and everyone's favorite "breakfast dessert," Taho at 25th.
Espasol
"Espasol is a soft, chewy Filipino rice cake prepared with a combination of toasted glutinous rice flour and grated green coconut that is slowly cooked in coconut milk," TasteAtlas said last Friday.
"The mixture turns into soft, pliable dough that is shaped into long cylinders or triangles before each cake is coated in rice flour.
It is usually associated with the province of Laguna, where it is hailed as a local specialty and is usually bought from various stores, restaurants and street stalls within the said area.
Espasol consists of simple ingredients such as rice flour, coconut and coconut milk.
Maruya
A famous "banna fritter," Maruya is made from slices of mashed bananas mixed into a batter of flour. It is then fried until crispy.
"The fritters are usually made with Filipino saba bananas and can come in various forms which are often served lightly dusted with sugar," TasteAtlas added.
"They are most commonly eaten as a light snack, sweet breakfast, or a filling afternoon dessert. These fritters are a favorite among children and can often be found at street stalls throughout the country."
Besides bananas and flour, its ingredients can also include eggs and baking powder.
Taho
Sweet and rich in protein, Taho is usually sold by street vendors in the morning. While it is normally served hot, some modern Filipino stalls sell it cold.
"Taho is a sweet Filipino dessert which consists of fresh soft tofu doused in arnibal syrup and sprinkled with plump sago pearls," they continued.
"Similar desserts can be found in numerous Asian countries, and most of them call for the usage of the softest tofu variety, known as silky tofu, which has a tender and creamy texture and an incredibly soft consistency."
Taho is covered in sweet arnibal syrup and chewy sago pearls and is also enriched with mild vanilla flavors.
Portugal's Pastel de Nata topped this year's list, followed by Indonesia's Serabi and Turkiye's Dondurma.
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