Taho, espasol, maruya among TasteAtlas' top 50 Best Street Food Sweets in the World
Three classic Pinoy street snacks made it to an online food guide’s list of best street food sweets in the world.
TasteAtlas has released its top 50 best-rated street food sweets, where Pinoy favorites like taho, maruya, and espasol are recognized.
The all-time favorite taho ranked 25 with a 4.2 out of 5 rating. TasteAtlas noted that this steamed silky tofu—the softest tofu variety—has “a tender and creamy texture and an incredibly soft consistency.” It is perfectly combined with plump sago pearls and arnibal syrup.
“Taho is usually sold by street vendors who sell this traditional delicacy in the early morning as a sweet, protein-packed breakfast,” they wrote.
Meanwhile, maruya, a banana fritter dessert, placed at 37. This snack consists of sliced or mashed Filipino saba bananas coated in batter and fried to a golden brown and sprinkled with sugar. It was described as a perfect treat for breakfast or afternoon snacks.
“These fritters are a favorite among children and can often be found at street stalls throughout the country,” the description read.
Meanwhile, maruya also placed 36th on TasteAtlas’ best deep-fried desserts in February 2023.
Espasol, on the other hand, got a 3.8 rating. Placing the 44th spot, this soft, chewy Filipino rice cake is “prepared with a combination of toasted glutinous rice flour and grated green coconut that is slowly cooked in coconut milk.”
Its soft, pliable dough texture makes it easy to shape as long cylinders or triangles before it is coated in rice flour.
“Espasol is associated with the Laguna region, where it is hailed as a local specialty that is usually bought at various restaurants, stores, and street stalls,” they wrote.
Topping the list is Portuguese egg tart Pastel de nata. It is followed by Indonesian pancakes Serabi and Turkish ice cream Dondurma.
Filipino cuisine has been recognized by TasteAtlas several times. Recently, the country was ranked 19th in the list of best cuisines worldwide in June 2022.
Early in June, other Filipino classic desserts such as halo-halo and dirty ice cream were also included on their list of world's best frozen desserts.