Filipino Merienda: A Guide to the Afternoon Snack Tradition

Published October 5, 2026 · By Friend's Corner Tea & Snack Bar · 6 min read

In the Philippines, the time between lunch and dinner has its own name and its own menu. It is called merienda, and it is one of the most comforting food traditions in Filipino culture. At Friend's Corner Tea & Snack Bar in Highland, NY, that spirit of sharing a snack and a drink with friends is a big part of who we are.

In this guide we explain what merienda is, where the word comes from, the classic foods and drinks you will find at a Filipino merienda and how to enjoy the tradition here in the Hudson Valley.

What Is Merienda?

Merienda is a light meal or snack eaten between main meals, most often in the afternoon, around 3 or 4 o'clock. Many families also have a morning merienda between breakfast and lunch. It can be as simple as bread and coffee or as generous as noodles, rice cakes and a pitcher of something cold.

Merienda is less about the exact food and more about the pause. It is a chance to take a break from work or school, sit down with family, coworkers or friends and share something good to eat.

Where Does the Word Come From?

The word comes from Spanish, from the verb merendar, meaning to have an afternoon snack. Spain ruled the Philippines for more than three centuries, and many Filipino food words and dishes reflect that history. The idea of a snack between meals exists in other Spanish-influenced cultures too, but in the Philippines merienda grew into its own tradition, blending Spanish, Chinese, Malay and American influences with local ingredients.

Classic Filipino Merienda Foods

Breads and pastries

• Pandesal: soft, slightly sweet bread rolls, often eaten with butter, cheese or dipped in coffee.
• Ensaymada: a soft, coiled brioche-like bun topped with butter, sugar and grated cheese.
• Mamon: a light, fluffy sponge cake, sometimes topped with butter and sugar or cheese.
• Hopia: flaky pastries with sweet fillings such as mung bean or ube.

Rice cakes (kakanin)

• Puto: small steamed rice cakes, often enjoyed with savory dishes.
• Bibingka: a baked rice cake traditionally cooked in banana leaves, especially popular at Christmas.
• Kutsinta and sapin-sapin: chewy, colorful rice cakes, often topped with grated coconut.

Banana snacks

• Turon: slices of saba banana, sometimes with jackfruit, wrapped in spring roll wrappers, fried and coated in caramelized sugar.
• Banana cue: saba bananas fried in brown sugar and served on a skewer.

Savory favorites

• Siopao: fluffy steamed buns filled with savory meat, a Filipino take on Chinese steamed buns.
• Lumpia: crispy spring rolls with meat or vegetable fillings.
• Pancit: stir-fried noodles, often served at gatherings because noodles symbolize long life.

Classic Merienda Drinks

No merienda is complete without something to drink:

• Sago't gulaman: the classic cold brown-sugar drink with tapioca pearls and jelly. Read our full guide to sago't gulaman.
• Coffee: a hot cup of coffee with pandesal is a morning merienda classic. See our guide to espresso drinks.
• Hot chocolate: known as tsokolate in the Philippines, traditionally made from tablea (pure cacao tablets).
• Fruit shakes: mango and avocado shakes are hugely popular in the Philippines. Our smoothie guide covers both.

And for the sweetest merienda of all, there is halo-halo, the layered shaved-ice dessert that many people treat as a full afternoon snack on its own.

Merienda Pairings to Try

Part of the fun is pairing sweet with savory or hot with cold. A few classic combinations:

• Ensaymada + hot coffee: buttery, cheesy and comforting.
• Siopao + sago't gulaman: a savory bun with a cold, sweet drink.
• Turon + a milk tea: caramel crunch with something creamy.
• Pancit + halo-halo for dessert: a party-style merienda.

Hosting a Simple Merienda at Home

Merienda is easy to recreate for friends or family. Keep it relaxed and focus on variety rather than a big menu:

• Pick one savory item, such as spring rolls, noodles or steamed buns.
• Add one or two sweet things, like a sponge cake, rice cakes or fried bananas.
• Offer one hot and one cold drink, for example coffee and a pitcher of sago't gulaman or a few bubble teas picked up on the way.
• Set everything out on the table so people can help themselves and chat.

The point is not perfection but company. A plate to share and a drink in hand is all a good merienda needs.

Why Merienda Matters

For many Filipinos, merienda is tied to memories of home: grandparents bringing out a plate of rice cakes, coworkers chipping in for a box of pastries or classmates sharing a snack after school. It is a small daily ritual that reflects a bigger value in Filipino culture: food is for sharing, and there is always room for one more at the table.

For Filipino families living abroad, including here in New York, merienda can be a simple way to stay connected to that feeling.

How to Enjoy Merienda in Highland, NY

You do not need to be Filipino to enjoy merienda. All you need is an afternoon break, a friend and a good snack. At Friend's Corner Tea & Snack Bar on Main Street in Highland, we serve Filipino favorites like sago gulaman and halo-halo along with Filipino comfort food, bubble tea, smoothies and coffee. What is available can change, so ask our team what Filipino treats we have on the day you visit.

Planning a longer outing? Combine your merienda stop with a visit to one of the nearby attractions in our guide to things to do in Highland, NY.

Merienda FAQs

What time is merienda?

Most commonly mid-afternoon, around 3 to 4 p.m., though a morning merienda is also common.

Is merienda a meal or a snack?

It is usually a snack, but it can be generous enough to feel like a small meal, especially at gatherings.

What is the most popular merienda drink?

Coffee and sago't gulaman are both classics, and fruit shakes are very popular too.

Take a Merienda Break

Merienda is the Filipino art of pausing for a snack and a drink with people you care about. Next time the afternoon slump hits, take a break the Filipino way. Stop by Friend's Corner on Main Street in Highland or order online for carryout, and make it a merienda.