Hot Dog And Marshmallow Skewers Are The Ultimate Filipino Party Food

You've probably heard of prosciutto and melon, chicken and waffles, or apple and cheddar sandwiches. Pairing sweet and savory ingredients isn't exactly an uncommon practice, and contrary to what you might assume, it doesn't require developing an acquired taste. The two flavor profiles are just naturally compatible. This is due to the fact that there are certain taste buds that only get activated by the presence of both sweet and salty. When these taste buds get activated, what you perceive is a harmonious balance of flavor. Hot dogs and marshmallows aren't exempt from this.

It may seem like an unconventional pairing to those who've never tried it before, but in many parts of the Philippines, hot dogs and marshmallows are a popular combination. The two ingredients are served like a shish kebab and skewered onto a stick, and they're often enjoyed at parties and other family gatherings. Though this specialty consists of two American foods, hot dogs and marshmallows are quintessentially Filipino.

Anyone who's familiar with Filipino food culture knows that processed American foods are extremely common. This stems from American colonization of the Philippines in the 20th century. Distrust of third-world food products led Americans to supply their own, and that included not only canned foods but anything that could survive a trip from the U.S. to the Philippines. American G.I.s sold many of these foods to Filipino natives, marshmallows and hot dogs being among them.

These days the Philippines no longer imports its hot dogs and marshmallows from the U.S. Instead the country produces its own, and they're actually pretty different from American ones in three distinct ways. Not only are they bright red in color, but they are almost exclusively made with pork. They also have a noticeably saltier taste, which makes pairing them with marshmallows all the more satisfying.

Filipinos aren't shy about combining sweet and savory foods. Filipino spaghetti, for example, is made with banana ketchup and sugar in addition to tomato sauce, tomato paste, and the same hot dogs that are often eaten with marshmallows. The result hardly reassembles the traditional Italian dish, but like any sweet and salty combo, many people consider it just as tasty.

In addition to sweet spaghetti and marshmallows with hot dogs, in the Philippines you'll also find mangoes served with bagoong. This street food combines the sweet tangy fruity with a salty condiment made with fermented shrimp paste. Another popular Filipino snack, a pastry called ensaymada, is also the product of sweet and savory flavors. The bread itself is made with a soft dough sweetened with sugar, and once baked, it's topped with American cheese, creating yet that same contrast of flavors that's so prevalent in Filipino food.