Trick OR Treat, but Make it Filipino | 8 Candies to share our culture this Halloween

Written By Niko Del Rey

We talked about sharing your culture with those around you through costumes and ultimately, bringing awareness to the Filipino community with whatever look you chose to highlight. However, what if their first exposure to the Filipino community were to happen at an even younger age, specifically through trick or treating? I’m not telling you to grab the closest lumpia and balut to make their knapsacks into a baon but truthfully, the Philippines has some of the best candy/treats you’ll ever experience. This could be a cool opportunity to show those in your community all the yummy snacks that the Philippines has to offer. So before you go and buy all the biggest bag of candies from your local market, let’s go over a few alternatives to treat your community with 8 Filipino Snacks for your Halloween Trick or Treaters.

1. Polvoron

One of my top 3 favorite treats when it comes to Filipino Cuisine is Polvoron aka the shortbread cookie of the Philippines. This Manila shortbread is made of toasted flour, milk, butter, and sugar cookie resulting in a creamy cookie texture that melts in your mouth. Polvoron is probably one of the easiest treats to introduce to your non-Filipino friends because who doesn’t enjoy a good cookie?

2. Chocnut (or Hany)

One of the most well-known chocolate brands from the Philippines, both Chocnut and rival chocolate company, Hany, has a similar crumbly chocolate texture that has hints of peanut that combine perfectly in your mouth that might be closer to a chocolate milk flavor. While Hershey’s might have a more true hint of bitter chocolate, Chocnut gives off a sweeter, chocolate milk flavor profile to your taste buds. Just be sure to give a disclaimer to your trick-or-treaters that this might be a messy treat if handled carelessly.

3. Curly Tops / Flat Tops

Curly Tops and Flat Tops made by the Ricoa Chocolate company might be the Hershey Kisses of the Philippines. Although both pieces of candy may look similar in build, they have completely different flavor profiles. Curly tops have a darker color and a sweet cocoa taster with a little saltiness to provide that rich contrast to the palate. Flat Tops gives off a similar sharp aftertaste but has been noted to be more sweet from the mildly roasted cocoa, also giving it a lighter coloring. 

4. White Rabbit

Such a nostalgic candy that brings you back to your childhood at first bite, White Rabbit is a creamy, sweet milk candy that has a bit of a tougher texture at first, similar to hard candy, that melts in your mouth and resolves more like taffy. However, the real fun when eating your first white rabbit is finding out that the wrapper stuck to the candy is actually edible. Give your trick-or-treaters a real experience when they question if the paper is actually edible or not. 

5. Mik Mik

Just as the package describes, Mik Mik is a small package that contains ‘sweetened milk powder’. This candy was made to enjoy just straight out of the bag or with a little water (or milk) and to be consumed with the straw. However, it might be a right of passage to have new Mik Mik patrons try to use the straw to consume the dry powder, resulting in a coughing frenzy from all the powder being inhaled too fast. Some Filipinos might say that coughing is necessary to enjoy the full experience. Giving your trick-or-treaters a courtesy disclaimer is completely up to you!

6. Ovaltine

Marketed as the “healthy” snack with its balanced mix of vitamins and minerals, being a good source of calcium, Vitamin D, A, C, and E, which have been proven to help with fighting oxidative damage, support bone health, and slow down aging. Not to mention that its higher levels of magnesium have studies linked to improved sleep if consumed prior to bedtime. Regardless of all the nutritional advantages to Ovaltine, it still proves to be a delicious candy that has a malt mix base giving a slightly different, caramel flavor profile. Although it's typically consumed with milk, they do have a candy version that is just as tasty. 

7. Potchi Strawberry Cream

Potchi is the gummi candy of the Philippines. I’ve only had the Strawberry cream but that was enough to convert me to Potchi. Potchi isn’t your typical gummy candy with more of a fluffy and chewy consistency inside rather than your standard gummy worm or gummy bear that might be a little more resistant to the bite. But to contrast the chewy fluffy texture inside, the outside has a crystalized sugar to give it that crunch of texture with every sweet, strawberry, chewy bite. A pleasant surprise to any new Potchi consumer. 

8. Mango Balls

The Philippine Mango is one of the most sought-after treats around the world. Here we still have the same dried mango you grew to love but now we have it in bite-size form, dried Mango Balls. Such an awesome treat to give out, it says “Philippines” on the packaging so we all know what country it is from and they come in small packaging so it’s easy to distribute but you’ll have to give each trick or treater 3-5 pieces because there is no way they’re going to be satisfied just consuming one!

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Written By Niko Del Rey

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