These came to have ‘pop’ names spontaneously given by buyers and sellers, which journalists and their readers (especially those who never ate on the streets) found intensely amusing: Adidas (the shoe brand) for chicken feet; PAL (Philippine Air Lines)) for wings; Walkman (the audicassette recorder with earphones) for pigs' ears; helmet for cocks' combs; IUD for the chicken intestines (because that is whaat they looked like).
2001 — Sutherland, Matthew, Matter of Taste, The Observer, Sunday Inquirer Magazine, Makati, Philippines
Filipinos also eat strange bits of animals --- the feet, the head, the guts, etc., usually barbecued on a stick. These have been given witty names, like “ADIDAS” (chicken’s feet); “KURBATA” (either just chicken’s neck, or “neck and thigh” as in “neck-tie”); “WALKMAN” (pig’s ears); “PAL” (chicken wings); “HELMET” (chicken head); “IUD” (chicken intestines); and “BETAMAX” (video-cassette-like blocks of animal blood). Yum, yum. Bon appétit!
Kalye Hits’ BBQ skewers, just a couple dollars each, make the grisliest yakitori-style gizzards look like dainty little tea nibbles! […] To name a few, there’s “Betamax,” cubes of congealed blood (in this case, pig); “Adidas,” chicken feet named after tennis shoes; pork and beef intestines; chicken livers; fish balls; sliced pig ears; and battered quail eggs called “kwek-kwek.”
The city's pavements are dotted with tiny makeshift stalls, emitting smoke from barbecued fish balls, pork or chicken entrails. The menus in these barbecue stands have developed their own terminology ‘Adidas’ for chicken feet, ‘pop’ for pig's ears, IUD for chicken entrails. Don't despair. You will also find more familiar, less exotic, but equally delicious food in these stalls, be it barbecued pork or sugared banana (called, of course, banana-que).
At 6 p.m., the line starts forming, the patrons looking like more of the young millennial college types from Westwood than those of Evans Community College nearby. Elvie Chan, proprietor of the street food, calls out to the waiting patrons: “Malapit na! We have ‘Enrile, Betamax, Adidas, kwek-kwek, pares, goto!” […] Mark A. from Anaheim blogged: “Being born in the Philippines, this was a great experience for me. The ambience reminded me of back home when eating street foods such as isaw (intestines), betamax (pork blood), and adidas (chicken feet) was the best alternative for lunch and dinner.
For newbies to the Pinoy street food experience, here is a glossary of items sold by Elvie. The squeamish may balk at this list, but aficionados swear by these delectable dishes:
• Enrile – head of chicken coated in tempura batter and deep fried
• Betamax – grilled cubes of coagulated pig’s blood
• Adidas – marinated chicken feet
• Kwek-kwek – pigeon’s egg dipped in batter and deep fried
• Pares – flavored rice, beef tendon, beef fat and meat; combined and simmered with spices
• Goto – rice porridge with chunks of chicken and tripe, topped with condiments such as finely chopped green onions and fried garlic bits
• Balut – boiled, fertilized duck egg with a small embryo inside
Another highlight of the lightning culinary tour of Manila’s hungry underbelly was the bemused visitor’s “you-gotta-be-kidding!” discovery that Pinoys don’t only eat all sorts of innards and stuff, but have also even coined really witty pet names for them—like IUD, Helmet, Adidas, Betamax, etc.!
Adidas are chicken feet that are declawed and marinated in a vinegar and soy sauce based marinade, then skewered and grilled. If Adidas refers to the feet of the chicken, then helmet should refer to the upper region of the fowl. And indeed if you order a helmet you will get a grilled chicken head.