All-Time Filipino Favorite Taho, Maruya, and Espasol Are the World’s Best Street Food Sweets, According to TasteAtlas

From bulalo to lechon to bakasi, Philippine street food sweets now take center stage and captivate the world’s tastebuds.

What a perfect time to indulge in another cup of your favorite taho, as this favorite Filipino dessert gets world recognition as one of the best street food sweets. In the recently released list by the popular online goods guide that catalogs traditional dishes, ingredients, and restaurants around the world, TasteAtlas, all-time Filipino favorites like taho, maruya, and espasol were prominently featured as the best not only in Asia but across the globe.

To note, this is not the first time that Filipino food has been highlighted by TasteAtlas. On a special feature, banana cue and the three aforementioned street foods were also regarded as the Best Rated Filipino Street Food sweets, with maruya and taho underlined as the top street food sweets in Southeast Asia.

Get To Know the Award-Winning Filipino Street Food Sweets

As per TasteAtlas, the food ranking for the Top 50 Best Street Food Sweets in the World was based on the ratings of the site audience, “with a series of mechanisms that recognize real users and that ignore bot, nationalist, or local patriotic ratings, and give additional value to the ratings of users that the system recognizes as knowledgeable.”

TasteAtlas’ primary objective is to promote exceptional local cuisine, foster pride in traditional dishes, and arouse curiosity about various culinary delights. This year, Portugal’s pastel de nata leads the list, followed by Indonesia’s pancake serabi, Turkish ice cream dondurma, and South Korea’s hotteok.

All-time Filipino favorite taho ranked 25th on the list, with a rating of 4.2 out of 5. As TasteAtlas puts it: “This sweet Filipino dessert, which consists of fresh soft tofu doused in arnibal syrup and sprinkled with plump sago pearls, can be found in numerous Asian countries. 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.”

Aside from the sweet-protein-packed breakfast usually sold by street vendors early in the morning, another Filipino delight that made it to the list is maruya. The Filipino banana fritters, made by coating sliced or mashed saba bananas in flour, battering them, and frying until crispy, secured the 37th spot on the list, boasting a remarkable rating of 4.0 out of 5.

As an agricultural country with a huge banana plantation, it is no wonder why maruya is common on the streets of the Philippines and is treated as the perfect afternoon snack. But if you want to augment your Filipino street food experience, then it is also recommended to try espasol. Earning the 44th spot on the list, this Filipino rice cake associated with the province of Laguna is meticulously prepared by blending toasted glutinous rice flour and grated green coconut. The mixture is cooked slowly in coconut milk, resulting in a velvety, pliable dough that is skillfully shaped into elongated cylinders or triangles and ultimately coated with a layer of rice flour.

There’s no arguing that there are so many sumptuous delicacies and cuisines to try around the Philippines—and, of course, around the world. Food is the universal language that transcends borders, connects cultures and nourishes both the body and the soul. Hence, it is recommended to go on a culinary adventure to delve into cultures, tantalize your tastebuds with new flavors, and develop a deeper understanding of global culinary traditions.

Ready to embrace the world’s culinary richness and embark on a flavorful journey of discovery? Here’s TasteAtlas’ list of the 50 Best Street Food Sweets in the World.

1. Pastel de nata (Portugal)
2. Serabi (Indonesia)
3. Dondurma (Turkey)
4. Hotteok (South Korea)
5. Pa Thong Ko  (Thailand)
6. Liege Waffle (Belgium)
7. Pisang Goreng (Indonesia)
8. Garrapiñada (Uruguay)
9. Gaufre (Belgium)
10. Poffertjes (Netherlands)
11. Khao Niao Mamuang (Thailand)
12. Egg Waffle (Hong Kong, China)
13. Picarones (Peru)
14. Mysore Pak (India)
15. Kue Ape (Indonesia)
16. Cubanitos (Argentina)
17. Taiyaki (Japan)
18. Kulfi (India)
19. Leche Frita (Spain)
20. Kue Putu (Indonesia)
21. Brussels Waffles (Belgium)
22. Hot Jam Donuts (Australia)
23. Churros (Spain)
24. Kürtőskalács (Hungary)
25. Taho (Philippines)
26. Bolinhos de Chuva (Portugal)
27. Roti Pisang (Malaysia)
28. Koeksister (South Africa)
29. Curd and Treacle (Sri Lanka)
30. Lokma (Turkey)
31. Cocadas (Mexico)
32. Bionico (Mexico)
33. Kulfi Falooda (India)
34. Rurki (Poland)
35. Fritule (Croatia)
36. Oliebol (Netherlands)
37. Maruya (Philippines)
38. Cuchufli (Chile)
39. Peanut Powdered Mochi (Taiwan)
40. Wisconsin Kringle (United States of America)
41. Gaufres à la Flamande (Belgium)
42. Galettes Campinoises (Belgium)
43. Hodu-gwaja (South Korea)
44. Espasol (Philippines)
45. Kluai Thot (Thailand)
46. Mazamorra Morada (Peru)
47. Funnel Cake (United States of America)
48. Khao Lam (Thailand)
49. Dou Fu Fa (China)
50. Churchkhela (Georgia)

_{Cover image credit: TasteAtlas}