When it comes to sinful snacks, Filipinos don't mind getting their hands dirty. We just love to munch on salty, spicy, cheesy, and sometimes oddly flavored crunchies that don't quite excel in the nutritional scheme of things (can you say sodium, saturated fat, and calories?) But we don't care. They're our most affordable guilty pleasure: junk food.

The term "junk food" was popularized by microbiologist Michael Jacobson in 1972, according Andrew F. Smith, author of the Encyclopedia of Junk Food and Fast Food. Jacobson was the co-founder of the Center for Science in the Public Interest. This not-so-healthy food group not only includes crunchies like chips and other crisps, but also fast food favorites like hamburgers, fries, hotdogs, and fried chicken. Usual comfort foods like ice cream and cake also shine in this caloric category.

In his New York Times article, "Let Us Now Praise the Great Men of Junk Food," writer Manny Fernandez says that "the history of junk food is largely an American tale" because no other nation has created so many variants, established so many brands, and eaten a you-don't-want-to-know amount.

But we Filipinos are also junk food hotshots, concocting our fair share of guilt-inducing, crunchy-crispy favorites we've come to know as chicheria, a term we suspect Pinoys have derived throughout time from the word chicha, as fermented drinks are known in Latin America. Chicheria are the places where you can drink chicha (such as corn beer). The term chicheria might have evolved in the Philippines from Spanish times to refer to the crunchy snacks usually eaten with these drinks. Or perhaps the monicker is a derivative of our favorite pork rind snack chicharon, known in almost all Latin American countries, and has been extrapolated to encompass the bigger realm of all things deep-fried.

That being said, SPOT.ph went on a junk food binge to rank our favorite munchies so essential to fill the Pinoy's daily mindless eating (non) nutritional requirements:

(By the way, SPOT.ph would like to disclose that Jack n Jill Fun Snacks are produced and distributed by the Universal Robina Corporation, which, along with our publisher Summit Media, is part of the JG Summit Conglomerate.)

10. La La Fish Crackers

Crunch crave: Cheap and filling, fish crackers have been a popular pulutan among Pinoys for decades and especially complements ice cold Pale Pilsen. In the last few years, La La Fish Crackers have been reincarnated in true-blue (and red, and yellow...) junk food packaging, complete with the sealed foil pack and supermarket standout graphics. La La's thick, salty fish crackers are made from wheat and rice flour, cassava starch, fish, vegetable oil, iodized salt, sugar, MSG, spices and natural flavoring. Aside from the Classic flavor, La La fish crackers (P9.85) also come in Salt and Vinegar, and Sweet Chili flavors. Other variants include Takoyaki, Tempura, Prawn Crackers, Cassava Chips, Potato Crisps and Chicky Chips.

Junkie fuss: Unless you were reared on it courtesy of sidewalk vendors and sari-sari stores, La La can be a bit of an acquired taste. La La's fishy smell isn't for everyone. Unless dipped in super-asim vinegar, there can be such a thing as "too salty" umay for the Classic flavor.

9. Chiz Curls

Crunch crave: Oh don't you just remember your childhood with Chiz Curls, the cheese flavored corn curls? This old school treat has been around since the early 1970s. The curls are made from corn, partially hydrogenated vegetable oil, cheese powder, butter or soybean oil, and iodized salt. You can enjoy puffy, lightly buttery, cheddar cheese-flavored corn crunchies for P14.50. This is the only variant, which is only logical considering the name.

Junkie fuss: Don't let the curls stay in your mouth for too long because the gooey texture might turn you off. Too soft and chewy isn't appetizing at all.