en Tokneneng

*Tokneneng*
	Kwek kwek, a popular variant of tokneneng made with quail eggs
Course	Snack
Place of origin	Philippines
Main ingredients	Hard-boiled quail egg, batter
Variations	Kwek kwek
	Media: Tokneneng;

Tokneneng (or tukneneng) is a tempura-like Filipino street food made by deep-frying hard-boiled chicken or duck eggs covered in orange batter.^[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]

History

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] In Taytay, it is called epalog, a portmanteau of hepa (Hepatits) and itlog (egg), referring to the yellowish skin associated with Hepatitis.^[5]

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.^[3] Yet another possibility is that street eateries (karinderya) repurpose leftover balut and penoy by deep-frying them for the next day. ^[3]^[6]