Deep-Fried Quail Eggs (Kwek-Kwek) with Sweet and Spicy Sauce Plus Cucumbers

In our country, street foods are a part of everyone’s life. It's who we are. They are a reflection of our way of life. And so, if you go here for vacation or holiday, it's a must that you try any or perhaps, all of these foods aside from visiting our natural wonders and attractions (e.g. Boracay Island, Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park, El Nido, Hundred Islands National Park, Tubbataha Reef, Mayon and Taal Volcano, Mount Apo, Banaue Rice Terraces, Chocolate Hills, Maria Cristina Falls, et cetera).

Our street foods and snacks are actually perfect for travelers who are not a fan of exotic ingredients like those in Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam and other Asian neighboring countries. This is because the ingredients come from livestock and marine produce primarily. And, these foods only cost around .22 to 0.45 USD (10 - 20 PHP). But we do have bizarre foods too if that's what you are looking for. Delicious, affordable, healthy and satiating! Absolutely worth it!

For this particular street food recipe, our celebrity ingredient is quail egg. We fry a few pieces of local quail eggs and then, serve these with either sweet and spicy or sweet and sour sauce for dipping with fresh and crunchy chopped cucumbers on the side and a glass of cold orange drink.

In the streets of the Philippines, this food is called “kwek-kwek”, which sounds like “quick-quick” in English. The etymology is unclear, but I think the name kwek-kwek is based on the fact that it's a certified fast food. It is very easy and fast to cook.

Do you know that 1 quail egg is 3 to 4 times healthier than 1 chicken or duck egg?

Quail eggs have been considered "super food" by nutrition experts. Despite their small size (0.92 inches wide and 1.11 inches long), these eggs are packed with vitamins and minerals, which are necessary for physical, mental, emotional, and intellectual development both for young and old. And, these are highly recommended for pregnant women and breastfeeding moms too as they can improve the quality of their breast milk.

Nutritionists suggest that we make quail eggs part of our everyday healthy diet. Here's the suggested number to consume in a certain period:

18 - Up Yrs = 120 to 240 in 40 days

16 - 18 Yrs = 120 in 25 days

11 - 15 Yrs = 120 in 31 days

8 - 10 Years = 90 in 30 days

4 - 7 Years = 60 in 20 days

1 - 3 Years = 60 in 30 days

3 Months - 1 Yr = 30 in 30 days

What are the vitamins and minerals found in quail eggs aside from proteins?

Please check out the table on the right. This is based on the nutritional content of 1 quail egg (9 grams) as reflected on the data provided by the United States Department of Agriculture.

Tips:

• If you have ½ teaspoon ground black pepper and 3 tablespoon cornstarch, add them to your batter mixture.
• If you don’t have any food color, you can use ½ tablespoon of annatto powder, but you have to dilute this in warm water before using.
• If you don't have organic food color or annatto powder, it is not a big deal. You can just do away with this ingredient. Anyway, it's added just to make the fried eggs look bright and enticing during plating.
• Don't forget to chill the soft-boiled eggs before peeling and be very careful so as to avoid deformation.

• ¼ cup of organic and all-purpose flour
• ¾ cup of sugar (white or brown)
• 2 cups of water
• 5 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 1 medium-sized onion, chopped
• 3 pieces of chili pepper, chopped
• 1 teaspoon of salt (iodized)
• 1/4 teaspoon of organic food color, orange or red

The sauce adds flavor to the fried quail eggs so it is very important that you have it ready beforehand.

Prepare the sauce before cooking the eggs.

1. Pour 2 cups of water to the cooking pot. Add in ¼ cup of flour. Mix thoroughly until all lumps are gone.

2. Put all the ingredients left and mix well.

3. Bring the mixture to a boil under medium heat. Stir diligently until you get the sauce thickness you prefer.

Tips:

• Let it cool for a while before serving.
• If you like to pair the eggs with purely sweet sauce, just don’t add the chili pepper in the mixture. On the contrary, if you like it hot and spicy, then remove the sugar on the list and feel free to add more chili pepper.
• If you like sweet and sour sauce, just replace chili pepper with 1/3 cup of vinegar (rice wine or white).

• 3 - 4 freshly harvested cucumber, peeled and chopped
• ½ cup sweet rice wine vinegar or lite soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon salt (iodized)

1. Put the chopped cucumbers into a mixing bowl.

2. Pour the sweet rice wine vinegar or lite soy sauce. Sprinkle with salt. Mix well.

3. Get some and place them beside the fried quail eggs.