LONDON STREET FOOD, YUMMY ITALIAN PASTA, CHINESE FOOD, BRICK LANE MARKET LONDON, JANUARY 2020, Street food is ready-to-eat food or drink sold by a hawker, or vendor, in a street or other public place, such as at a market or fair. It is often sold from a portable food booth,[1] food cart, or food truck and meant for immediate consumption. Some street foods are regional, but many have spread beyond their region of origin. Most street foods are classed as both finger food and fast food, and are cheaper on average than restaurant meals. The types of street food varies between regions and cultures in different countries around the world.[2] According to a 2007 study from the Food and Agriculture Organization, 2.5 billion people eat street food every day.[3] A majority of low-and-middle-income consumers[4] rely on the quick access and cheap service of street food for daily nutrition and job opportunities, especially in developing countries.
Street food vending is found all around the world, but varies greatly between regions and cultures.[33] For example, Dorling Kindersley describes the street food of Vietnam as being “fresh and lighter than many of the cuisines in the area” and “draw[ing] heavily on herbs, chile peppers and lime”, while street food of Thailand is “fiery” and “pungent with shrimp paste … and fish sauce.” New York City’s signature street food is the hot dog, however, New York street food also includes everything from “spicy Middle Eastern falafel or Jamaican jerk chicken to Belgian waffles”[34] Falafel is very popular in the Middle East as fast food. Vendors sell it on the street concers is most popular in countries like Israel, Egypt, and Syria. Falafel is also the national dish of Israel. Falafel is a deep-fried ball or patty that is made from chickpeas or fava beans and spices. It is a favorite among vegetarians. Jamaican Jerk Chicken is a traditional dish served in the Caribbean Islands. The original marinade demands authentic Caribbean ingredients such as scotch bonnet peppers, allspice berries and sometimes, wood from laurel trees.
Grilled bread with jam served with sweetened milk in Bangkok
Street food in Thailand offers various selection of ready-to-eat meals, snacks, fruits and drinks sold by hawkers or vendors at food stalls or food carts on the street side. Bangkok is often mentioned as one of the best places for street food. Popular street offerings includes pad thai (stir fried rice noodle), som tam (green papaya salad), sour tom yum soup, various selection of Thai curries, to sticky rice mango
speaking regions of India, street food is popularly known as nukkadwala food (“corner” food). In South India, foods like Mirchi Bajji, Punugulu, Chitti Garelu/Mini Vada,Chicken Pakodi, Mokkajonna (Corn roasted on coal) are famous street foods along with breakfast items like Idli, Vada, Dosa, Poori, Bonda etc. While some vendors streamline the recipes of popular dishes to sell them on the street, several restaurants have taken their inspiration from the vibrant street food of India.
Street food in Hyderabad, Telangana, India
In Hawaii, the local street food tradition of “plate lunch” (rice, macaroni salad, and a portion of meat) was inspired by the bento of the Japanese who had been brought to Hawaii as plantation workers.[41] In Denmark, sausage wagons allow passersby to purchase sausages and hot dogs.
In Egypt, a food sold commonly on the street is ful, a slow-cooked fava bean dish.[42]
Mexican street food is known as “antojitos” (translated as “little cravings”) which include several varieties of tacos, such as tacos al pastor, huaraches and other maize based foods
There is a stigma in Japan that is against eating on the move. However, during special occasions such as festivals, the streets of Tokyo are filled with vendors that serve food such as odango, sashimi, oyster, and octopus.
Cultural and economic aspects
Street vendor of snack foods in Nepal
Because of differences in culture, social stratification and history, the ways in which family street vendor enterprises are traditionally created and run vary in different areas of the world.[43] Often, women’s success in the street food market depends on trends of gender equality. This is evidenced in Bangladesh, where few women are street vendors. However, in Nigeria and Thailand, women dominate the street food trade.[44] Doreen Fernandez says that Filipino cultural attitudes towards meals is one “cultural factor operating in the street food phenomenon” in the Philippines because eating “food out in the open, in the market or street or field” is “not at odds with the meal indoors or at home” where “there is no special room for dining”.[23]