Pinoys' Obsession Over Squid Balls and Other Deep Fried Goodness

No, not Balls as in testicles. I meant Squid Balls! Just think of mashing canned Tuna into small balls and then deepfrying it in yummy-high-cholesterol goodness.

Street vendors, food court vendors, and grocery stores sell these little balls on a stick either ready to eat or frozen. All you have to do is heat up a pan of oil, dump them in, and add a bit of hot "sawse" to the mix. For only 10 pesos a stick (4 sticks to a DOLLAR! Ay Sus!) you can enjoy these yummy delights with an ice cold soda in a plastic bag for another 10 pesos.

After work, I frequently stop at one of the following food stalls (whichever one has a smaller line) in the nearby mall to get a small snack "merienda" before heading home.

Needless to say, the signs are catchy. As for the balls, they are indeed yummy. My personal favorite is happy balls because they have different sauces to try out. The other two places allow double dipping, which is so disgusting (I just realized how many sexual innuendos are in this sentence, no pun intended). The thought of other random people taking a bite of their squid balls then dipping it into the sauce, a second or third time, makes me want to gag.

Aside from my love for deep-fried squid balls, banana que is also another favorite of mine. The bananas are drenched in brown sugar, deep fried, then drenched in brown sugar again. For eight pesos my stomach and taste buds sing while my teeth clench to fight off the cavity inducing snack.

Yes, in the Philippines anything can be deep fried. Bananas, squid balls, fish balls, tiny shrimp, cheese, hotdogs, dim sum, dumplings. For only pennies, locals give you a feast of deepfried goodness and you are one step closer to a possible heart attack.

But...when in Rome, do as the Romans do. :D