
Sign up to save your podcasts
Or


For generations of Filipino children, a single peso coin held immense power: the power to choose between a crumbly Choc Nut, a powdery Mik-Mik, a chewy White Rabbit, or a stack of Haw Flakes. This episode unwraps the surprisingly complex history of these iconic sari-sari store treats. We trace their origins from Malabon to Shanghai and explore the unique rituals they inspired: from sacrilegious playground masses with candy 'ostiya' to the shared rite of passage of surviving a powdered milk choking hazard. Discover how economic necessity and a national sweet tooth transformed these simple candies into powerful symbols of nostalgia, creativity, and the enduring sweetness of Filipino childhood.
By Podkas Team5
88 ratings
For generations of Filipino children, a single peso coin held immense power: the power to choose between a crumbly Choc Nut, a powdery Mik-Mik, a chewy White Rabbit, or a stack of Haw Flakes. This episode unwraps the surprisingly complex history of these iconic sari-sari store treats. We trace their origins from Malabon to Shanghai and explore the unique rituals they inspired: from sacrilegious playground masses with candy 'ostiya' to the shared rite of passage of surviving a powdered milk choking hazard. Discover how economic necessity and a national sweet tooth transformed these simple candies into powerful symbols of nostalgia, creativity, and the enduring sweetness of Filipino childhood.

32,086 Listeners

11,528 Listeners

26,222 Listeners

7,697 Listeners

2,673 Listeners

24,362 Listeners

10,304 Listeners

3,491 Listeners

21 Listeners

301 Listeners

13 Listeners