| Tokneneng | |
| Country: | Philippines |
| Course: | Snack |
| Main Ingredient: | Hard-boiled quail egg, batter |
| Variations: | Kwek kwek |
Tokneneng (or tukneneng) is a tempura-like Filipino street food made by deep-frying orange batter covered with hard-boiled chicken or duck eggs.[1]
A popular variation of tokneneng is kwek kwek. Kwek-kwek is traditionally made with quail eggs,[1] which are smaller, with batter made by mixing annatto powder or annatto seeds that have been soaked in water. Kwek-kwek and tokeneneng are often falsely used interchangeably. To cook kwek-kwek, the cooking oil needs to be at least 160°F (71°C).
Tokneneng is commonly found at street food stalls, often with fish balls, squid balls, and kikiam. It is usually served with either a tangy vinegar-based dip (plain or spicy), or a thick sweet sauce made of flour, soy sauce, garlic, onions, and sugar.[2]
The word tukneneng originated from the 1978 Pinoy Komiks series Batute, illustrated by Vic Geronimo and created by Rene Villaroman. In the language of the protagonist, Batute, tukneneng means "egg".[3] [4]
Another origin story involves a balut vendor in Cubao. Accidentally dropping the balut they were selling, they peeled off the shells and deep-fried it in the batter instead of discarding it. This unexpected culinary experiment led to the creation of both tokneneng and its close cousin, kwek-kwek. Yet another possibility is that street eateries (karinderya) repurpose leftover balut and penoy by deep-frying them for the next day. [5]