Junk Food from my childhood: Ampao and Pop Rice
I was at the KCC Mall of GenSan supermarket yesterday, doing my grocery when I came upon some familiar chichiria or what people now call as “junk food”.
These are the home made pinoy snacks, AMPAO and POP RICE, two of my favorite snack foods during my youth which I could easily buy at the neighborhood sari-sari store.
Presenting the cebuano delicacy, AMPAO, which look like these:
and these:
I remember an ampao costing 2 pieces for P0.10 before. When I checked the price at KCC, 10 pieces now cost P15++.
Biting into a a crunchy caramelized piece made me recall that it used to be one of my comfort foods. I used to eat so much of it that I usually had no appetite for lunch or dinner afterwards.
Now, the multi-colored POP RICE.
Actually called PUFFED RICE in English, It looks like these, packed inside small thin plastic wrappers, each one with a rubber band tied to its end…
..and upon closer look, they look like these:
Now costing P1.20 per bundle, I tried putting a handful of these pinoy version of Rice Crispies into my mouth and again, pleasant memories came rushing back to those days when we kids eat anything offered by the friendly vendor, not worrying if they have melamine, or MSG or if they have too much salt, too much fat, too much oil, too much cholesterol, too much sugar, or no nutritional value whatsoever, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera.
Back then food was food for kids like us, and there was no such thing as junk. 
How about you?
What were the comfort food during much of your childhood?
Related posts:
- GenSan Mayor Acharon and his Food Carts
- The Davao Food Appreciation Tour I (A Taste of Paradise in Eden)
- Pay it forward, GenSan! – A Christmas Day Food Caravan for Streetkids
- KCC’s BibingKinitan! – Yuletide comfort food and yummy Christmas gift
- Jo-Ann’s Bakeshop Siopao, GenSan’s Unofficial Comfort Food
If you like this post, then help support this blog's maintenance.
Bariles is a Filipino word for “Tuna”, the primary source of income of the people of General Santos City which hosts 6 of the Philippines’ 8 tuna canneries and more than 80% of its tuna processing plants.
blackmeat Says:
.. i like ampao and pop rice also during my childhood days and even until now.. Ahehe! Meron nga akong stock ng ampao sa bahay.. Ahehe! Pero, ang palagi kong kinakain nong araw ay HEBI, bande, bukayo, captain sid butong pakwan ug katong candy na naay street fighter card.. Ahehe!
Posted on September 24th, 2008 at 12:34 PM
Kritiko Says:
yahh i love it… mayaman sa coloring yan… ang switiee sugar… parang junk foods yan.., ala kasing sangkap pinoy seal?
Posted on September 24th, 2008 at 11:34 PM
Jinky Says:
me too, I luv ampao and pop rice. . . Those were d days na wala tayong narinig na batang nagkasakit sa kidney sa kakakain ng junk food, di ba. . . junk nga sila kung tawagin pero healthier naman yung version before.
We grew up with homemade ampao, espcially made by our lola. ansarap nun. I remember pa nga na ang ginagamit ni lola na pang flatten sa ampao ay yung napakalaking seashell (kinason) na galing sa Leyte.
and then, sino ang makakalimot sa walang kamatayang “TIMBURA” tag singko sentimos ang balot. . marami ngaun upgraded version na nun, meron na halo peanuts, green peas, etc.. .
Posted on September 25th, 2008 at 11:53 AM
gensanite Says:
comfort food?
hmmm… ice cream… hahaha… joke… i’m a cornik guy… hehehe…
bagsik ang mga food sa una;
yan-yan, bochoy, texas, caramel, tarzan, big boy, bazooka joe, bobot, leche con yelo, ice candy, polar ice drop, malabon ice drop, hebi, bandi, bukayo, dulce piedra, kiamoy, champoy, white rabbit (nga makaon ang wrapper), lipps candy, butter ball, ug daghan pa…
food trip na pud!!!
Posted on September 25th, 2008 at 12:00 PM
gensanite Says:
ang ampao diay kay specialty sa carcar (cebu), uban sa ilang chicharon…
Posted on September 25th, 2008 at 12:01 PM
daxi weida Says:
ice drop of Snow White
ice cream of Eskimo
nutri-bun of our elementary school
… just to name a few
daxi weidas last blog post..The 2nd Mindanao Bloggers Summit
Posted on September 25th, 2008 at 3:00 PM
bariles Says:
Wow! I like bukayo too. Super tamis nun di ba? Ang Captain Sid later na lumabas yan. Hehehe! Magkaiba nga tayo ng generation.
Anong Hebi? Anong bande?
Posted on September 25th, 2008 at 3:38 PM
bariles Says:
Anong coloring kaya gamit nila? Kahadluk man diay. Hehehe!
Posted on September 25th, 2008 at 3:39 PM
bariles Says:
Hi Jinky! Visayan snacks pala talga ang Ampao. How is this cooked? There was a time when Timbura was the only thing in my pockets too. Even if it’s kinda salty, wa kiyems! Kain ang mga batang lansangan! Hehehe!
Posted on September 25th, 2008 at 3:42 PM
bariles Says:
Ah grabe! Super masiba ka pala nung una gensanite! No wonder chub ka rin! Hehehe! (joke)
From what you wrote, i most specially like LIPPS CANDY!!!! Hehehe! Nakakapula ng dila and lips. Then white rabbit before the melamine scare. Fascinating kasi nakakain ang wrapper. Then butterball which is still my favorite now altho I have shunned off sugar entirely.
What is dulce piedra? Texas is super gahi na bebelgam di ba? I dont like ice drop with monggo. I hated it then. I just love it plain. Hehehe!
Posted on September 25th, 2008 at 3:48 PM
bariles Says:
Daxi, Eskimo was the first in the city to offer halo-halo topped with ice cream. Did you know that?
Posted on September 25th, 2008 at 3:49 PM
AforDaboLz Says:
syempre, insumada ug cuks sa bettylou, hehe.
Posted on September 25th, 2008 at 3:56 PM
Mindanao Bob Says:
Ampao is delicious, I really like it. Never tried Pop Rice before, never even seen it.
Mindanao Bobs last blog post..Staying healthy while traveling in the Philippines
Posted on September 25th, 2008 at 4:01 PM
GorG Says:
Grabe! two of my fave local chichira. ung fushia na ampao? me bilog din nun. bibig mo kulay fushia na.sama mo na doon ang hebi, ung prawn crackers (i forgot the name!), sunshine green peas, mga candies, gums na halos mag chip na ngipin mo.hehe..grabe. me mga candies na ginagawa pa naming lipstick! hahaha.we just ate a pack (12 in a pack ba yon?)of hebi at agawan pa.i brought a pack at the office today which my visiting sis bought at kcc (na miss nya!), ako pa ang pinaglitan dito sa office at un lang daw ang dala ko! darn!
wala man lang thank you..hehehe..kaka miss the old days…
penge kuya!
Posted on September 25th, 2008 at 4:41 PM
bariles Says:
Ay naku noel! Bettylou deserves her own article here. Your hot pandesal are the most awaited at 3pm every afternoon, if i can still remember it right.
Posted on September 25th, 2008 at 4:51 PM
gensanite Says:
@bariles –
dulce piedra – mura’g bato siya nga sugar; it looks more like tawas actually…
white rabbit – da best in the world kaayo sa una; fascinating gyud kay makaon ang wrapper – not unlike its toffee counterpart…
texas and tarzan – gahi gyud sila nga bugolbam; kalit lang pud sila “na-laos” when bigboy came into the picture… gahi pud nga toffee candy ang caramel, tapos modikit pa gyud sa ngipon…
ice drop – i have to agree with you on this one; i like the violet-colored polar ice drop better than the brown with monggo… bagsik pud sa una ang glory ice cream/sorbetes…
Posted on September 25th, 2008 at 4:52 PM
bariles Says:
hi bob! pop rice tastes like kellog’s rice crispies but less sweet. as you can see, they’re multi-colored too. hey! will you be back here for the bloggers summit? bout time you hook up with your old buddies here and kumpares.
Posted on September 25th, 2008 at 4:54 PM
gensanite Says:
one more thing…
mabuhay ang mga sari-sari store!!!
Posted on September 25th, 2008 at 4:54 PM
naxjho Says:
guyzz!!
careful sa ampao coz it’s more on glucose!!take note..bugas ug sweeteneer naa dha…ang katam-is taas kaau..which is unhealthy sa mga kids…
pwde mokaon gamay lang…tilaw tilaw pero kung pun-on jud nimog nganga imong baba ug um-um anang ampao…diabeteson jud ka ana…
mas maau hinay hinay…pero dili ko kontra ha…
Posted on September 25th, 2008 at 5:51 PM
blackmeat Says:
.. Ang hebi junk food yan na maliit ang packing kulay orange.. Tag duha 25 centavos lang yan noon. Ngayon, parang piso 50 centavos ang isa.. di ko na alam. Ang “bandi or bande”, parang bukayo din yan pero instead of coco, mani ang gamit.. Ahehe!
Posted on September 26th, 2008 at 7:56 AM
jinky borela Says:
yeah, i almost forgot pala, worth mentioning talaga yung ensumada tsaka pandesal ng Bettylou. . ajejeje, after mag pa spa sa mga sinehan with all the pawis na gadagayday sa mga likod og agtang, adto dayon sa bettylou para makita ang crush ajeje(joke!) palit palit pandesal/ensaymada na talaga namang napakasarap.
Posted on September 26th, 2008 at 8:07 AM
orman Says:
finally BARILES REPUBLIC is back! i got the scare of my life! imagine out of reach of pangunahing source of info ng gensan… hehehehe!
ang paborito ko na pagkain noon…
1) suman and tsokolate sa palengke – yung suman hahati-hatiin ko to small pieces then ilalagay ko sa isang mainit na tasa ng tsokolate… then eat ko dahan-dahan…sarap!!!
2) pansit canton ng ceballos – every sunday after the evening mass, dun kami magdi-dinner ng family… that started my love affair with pansit canton.
3) tira-tira – maremember ko talaga ito… long thin strip of caramel candy na ang tigas… even then enjoy talaga ako namnamin ito.
4) zamboanga buko bar – soooobbbrrraaannnggg adik ako nito noon.
5) hot pandesal ng joans!!! need i say more?
ormans last blog post..nakakapagod.
Posted on September 26th, 2008 at 9:18 AM
bariles Says:
i agree! without them, kids would be bored to death when at home.
Posted on September 26th, 2008 at 9:22 AM
bariles Says:
naxjo, hello. Sakto na…hinay-hinay lang gyud dapat basta tam-is. Anything in excess is not healthy.
Posted on September 26th, 2008 at 9:23 AM
bariles Says:
Hi blackmeat. Ah…now I knowwhat bandi is…. BUKAYO!!!! hehehe! Super sweet coconut strands coated with sugar caramel. Gosh! Thanks kiddo, este, blackmeat.
Posted on September 26th, 2008 at 9:25 AM
bariles Says:
Jinky, uy!!! Who was your crush at Bettylou Bakeshop before? Hehehe.
Posted on September 26th, 2008 at 9:25 AM
bariles Says:
Orman, you reminded me of Mommy and Daddy again. Mommy was the one who took us to the palengke for the sikwate and joans for the hot pandesal plus halohalo with ice-cream. Dad introduced us to ceballos.
Happy birthday on Sunday nga pala sis ! Malaki ka na! Pero sexy pa rin.
Posted on September 26th, 2008 at 9:28 AM
jasper0127 Says:
@Jinky – correct ka dyan Jink Timbura at eat bulaga napakayummy yan sakin in my childhold days.
Ang sarap balikan no marami nga ngayon masyadong commercialized na di katulad dati. I remember also chitcharon na red in color ang sarap2x yan dati. HMMM sana maging bata tayo uli hehehehehe
Posted on September 26th, 2008 at 10:53 AM
karina Says:
hi there! thanks for posting this. Reminds me of my childhood too. This is nice!
Posted on September 26th, 2008 at 3:05 PM
Joana Grace Says:
I grew up with ampao and pop rice- kapitbahay kasi namin dati sa Balimbing Street ang gumagawa ng mga yan. I still enjoy eating it every now and then. Each time I do so, I am flooded with childhood memories…
Comfort food for me would include SARISA or ARATILES. Ang saya-saya ko kapag nakakakita ako ng puno na tadtad ng bunga, lalo na kapag ako mismo ang pipitas! I remember making caramelized delicacy out of it.
Sarap balik-balikan ang mga magagndang alaala at masasarap na pagkain…
Joana Graces last blog post..How To Savor A Blueberry Snow Frost
Posted on September 26th, 2008 at 10:02 PM
anonymouse :) Says:
Kuy Avel, ang bande/bandi yung mani na sinama sa melted muscovado sugar, tapos pag natuyo na ang sugar, korteng bilog of different sizes.
Masarap rin ang tinagtag na gawa ng mga kapatid nating muslims. parang sweet crispy bihon!
Not to be forgotten yung mga sinangag na mani na binalot sa newspapers na korteng cone. binebenta ito sa loob ng orchestra ng sine dito. Kunsumisyon ng janitors sa sinehan ang mga balat ng maning ito! ajejeje
Posted on September 27th, 2008 at 1:20 AM
archmykel Says:
I love tira tira hehehe later it evolved into the famous tootsie roll. Tobacco size dati ngayun super mini bite size na hehe. and who would ever forget the leche con yellow with a lot of coloring! the cotton candy too. then type ko rin yung chivalry na pusit and the dried beef (i forgot the brand name.
Timbura is the pre cursor of boy bawang di ba?
Those were the days……….
Posted on September 27th, 2008 at 7:24 PM
orman Says:
@archmykel – it’s no wonder why we both love tootsie rolls, mike! hahahha!
ormans last blog post..nakakapagod.
Posted on September 27th, 2008 at 8:03 PM
miko Says:
bukayo…!
NOON: t’was 25 cents per piece and take note…big sizes pa…
NGAYON: 3 – 5 pesos na….depending on the size that you want…
waaaaaa!
Posted on September 27th, 2008 at 8:47 PM
jamesqaps@yahoo.com Says:
I like fanta softdrin huhu 5 pesos pa yun sya…
yahh HEBI full of betsin
Posted on September 28th, 2008 at 8:38 AM
jamesqaps@yahoo.com Says:
Posted on September 28th, 2008 at 8:39 AM
orman Says:
noon pag may piso kang baon… makakabili ka na ng coke and cheeseburger! maililibre mo pa ang bespren mo!
ormans last blog post..nakakapagod.
Posted on September 30th, 2008 at 1:53 PM
tom Says:
hi… actually meron kaming pagawaan nyan since i was born and my dad the one one who cook and manage… weel when i gew up wes till doing the same livelihood and ngayon eh ako na ang nag pursege para mag patuloy nung business… well masasabi ko lang eh magandang kabuhayan yan saka malakas ang kita… walang melanine yan dahil gawa sa natural food and sugar only…with glucose..
Posted on November 22nd, 2008 at 3:18 PM
bariles Says:
Hi Tom! I hope you can let me taste your own brand of ampao someday. Where are you based?
Posted on November 23rd, 2008 at 11:57 AM
Jordan Ray Quinco Says:
hahaha… love reading the blogs… makes me smile.. cry at times. ehehhe.. god bless .. kuya avel
Posted on February 7th, 2009 at 6:01 PM