Kwek kwek (Cebu Must-Try Street Food #1)
by 
1. Kwek kwek
Kwek kwek — These are the orange-colored eggs with crispy coatings that you can find sold by street vendors or in food stalls in the malls. When walking along the streets, especially in downtown Cebu a.k.a. Colon, you’ll notice that there’s usually the case wherein you see a bunch of people flocking in to a street vendor surrounding him/her, like the person is a celebrity or something, and then when you get close enough and take a look out of curiosity of what they are happily eating, you get surprised that it’s a strange orange-colored egg. Yes, this particular street food is quite popular, not only in Cebu but also in other parts of the country.
The origin of the name and the dish got somehow lost in time and it has some few cousins like the tokneneng. But here in Cebu, kwek kwek refers to any orange-colored crispy coated boiled egg may they be quail eggs, duck eggs, or chicken eggs. The orange color comes from its Anatto powder ingredient a.k.a. atsuete, which is then mixed with other powder and spices to make up the orange batter. Don’t be fooled by its odd appearance and think it doesn’t taste good. Believe me, I used to think it tasted no better than any other regular boiled eggs. This previous belief of mine vanished into thin air when i finally, out of curiosity wondering why so many people tend to flock in to every kwek kwek vendor, tried one and fell in love with the unique taste. First, I tried to eat it without its usual pair sauce, which is vinegar with some spices, and then I tried it with the vinegar dip. The taste was great in both occassions. It was a great treat if you’re in for a crispy, slightly spicy, aromatic, tasty boiled egg. I looked forward to eating it again and again. I recommend you give the Kwek kwek food stall located on the 6th floor of Metro Gaisano in Ayala a visit for a delicious bite of this yummy street food.
Why try it? Be amazed on how Cebuanos can make a simple boiled egg recipe taste so good.