Merienda is a light meal in southern Europe, particularly Spain, Portugal (lanche or merenda) Italy (merenda), Slovenia and Croatia (marenda), as well as Hispanic America and the Philippines. Usually taken in the afternoon or for brunch, it fills in the meal gap between the noontime meal and the evening meal, being the equivalent of afternoon tea in the English-speaking world; or between breakfast and lunch. It is a simple meal that often consists of a piece of fruit, cookies, yogurt, and other snackspaired with juice, hot chocolate, coffee, spirits, or other beverages. (Wikipedia)
Merienda is a great part of the Filipino meal culture. The effort a Filipino will spend on the preparation of a Filipino breakfast, lunch and dinner is sometimes the same effort he spends when he prepares a merienda; it is a light meal between two major meals. The merienda we enjoy like ginataan bilo bilo, biko, puto, kutsinta, lumpiang prito na isinasawsaw sa sukang may sili at bawang, tokwa't baboy, dinuguan, turon, BANANA CUE, (can you mention some more?) is slowly being replaced by junk food like Chippy, Cheez Curls, etc. Junk food are too salty and unhealthy compared with the healthy banana cue.
Banana Cue, for me, is still a champion merienda even up to today. Why? Because we still see a lot of peddlers in a cart roving around selling banana cue or a lady dressed in patadyong skirt with a bilao (a large rounded native tray) on her head or native basket on her arm shouting .... “bili na kayo ng masarap na banana cue!” (Does anyone wants a delicious banana cue?). When we hear that shout, we recognize that it has been merienda time already.
This is one of the things every Filipino citizen will surely miss when he migrates to another country. The alarm clock for merienda time which is the shout of a lady selling banana cue will no longer be at that place.
Try and taste the healthy BANANA CUE, the still undefeated Filipino champion merienda even up to today!