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		The best street food on Earth. Not a pretzel or hot dog in sight (guardian.co.uk)		214
		More: Cool, pretzels, hot dogs

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20148 clicks; posted to Main » on 24 Feb 2012 at 9:37 PM | Favorite | share:

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ArkAngel		2012-02-24 09:01:00 PM

No slideshow, only khlav kalash

AbbeySomeone		2012-02-24 09:19:02 PM

I have never had bad food from a street vendor or food cart.

RexTalionis		2012-02-24 09:32:28 PM

AbbeySomeone: I have never had bad food from a street vendor or food cart.

My favorite street food is a memory from when I was a little boy. I don't know if anyone still makes it. It was a bunch of boiled quail eggs strong up on a kebab skewer and dipped in a seasoned batter and sesame seeds and then deep-fried. Man, I can still remember the last time I ate that 23 years ago in China.

Also, this list fails without the Jianbing guozi - deepfried dough sticks wrapped in a crepe made from eggs with a sweet and salty bean paste.

english.cri.cn

Kanemano		2012-02-24 09:42:14 PM

currywurst is a hot dog, just saying

corridor		2012-02-24 09:42:51 PM

A winner in the Boobies!

/aren't all Boobies winners?
//planning for the filterpwn

LeroyBourne		2012-02-24 09:43:23 PM

No mayo slathered ears of corn?

exvaxman		2012-02-24 09:44:21 PM

Kanemano: currywurst is a hot dog, just saying

What he said. The ketchup sauce is spicier but still bland.

I don;t care what anyone says - a soft pretzel with lots of salt and a good ground mustard is great.

beefoe		2012-02-24 09:45:12 PM

I love street food and the best is at the hawker centers in KL (Kuala Lumpur Malaysia). Basically a parking lot with a bunch of food trucks, each specializing in a particular delicacy and of course there's a beer vendor.

With that said, currywurst is f'ing disgusting. You'd think that it would be awesome combining the yumminess of bratwurst and curry, but really it's just a crappy hot dog in some gross sweet tomato sauce. It should be illegal false advertizing to call it currywurst since it is neither. Curry-worst!!!

/end rant

jaytkay		2012-02-24 09:45:16 PM

Those all look great* and I have tried none of them! I gotta get out more.

* Except for Walkie-talkies

Tony_Pepperoni		2012-02-24 09:45:32 PM

Banh mi FTW

suid		2012-02-24 09:46:17 PM

Incomplete without "chaat" and "aloo tikki" (you have to imagine these served on a banana leaf and newspaper, on street corners in Mumbai and Delhi):

cdn.sailusfood.com

sgnilward		2012-02-24 09:46:46 PM

Firsthand, Bahn Mi in Vietnam is the same as Bahn Mi in the twin cities, ditto on Pho and Eggrolls

Fark, I usually hate Minnesota

Yoyo		2012-02-24 09:47:46 PM

Currywurst? That's basically the European equivalent of a hot-dog. Besides, there is much better German food you can buy from a cart. Pork steak sandwiches, for one.

I also find it peculiar that the article italicizes mole (the Mayan word for sauce) as a foreign word, but not salsa (the Spanish word for sauce).

StreetlightInTheGhetto		2012-02-24 09:48:16 PM

That's the one upside to the middle/working class suburbs my parents live in and where I was raised... all of the immigrant groups who ended up there and opened shops nearby. I've had half the things on that list just popping into random strip malls and either pointing at something on the menu or just asking what the most popular thing is, and often it's the storefront equivalent of cheap quick and yummy street food. Not gonna be the same but when I'm about the only native English speaker in the place I'm fairly confident it's close.

The Vietnamese sandwiches, though... damn those can be spicy if you're not careful. Damn good though. Especially with tons of fresh cilantro.

I also would add Lebanese pies to the list. Awesome pick-up-and-run food.

sgnilward		2012-02-24 09:48:58 PM

Pferdleberkasesemmel von Wien Sudbahnhoff FTW!

Eckyhade		2012-02-24 09:49:55 PM

beefoe: I love street food and the best is at the hawker centers in KL (Kuala Lumpur Malaysia). Basically a parking lot with a bunch of food trucks, each specializing in a particular delicacy and of course there's a beer vendor.

With that said, currywurst is f'ing disgusting. You'd think that it would be awesome combining the yumminess of bratwurst and curry, but really it's just a crappy hot dog in some gross sweet tomato sauce. It should be illegal false advertizing to call it currywurst since it is neither. Curry-worst!!!

/end rant

You forgot to mention Peoples Park and Newton Circus in Singapore. But yes the asian hawker stand is where to go. I'll bet you went to the Beach Club Cafe in KL after you ate?

RexTalionis		2012-02-24 09:50:09 PM

RexTalionis: t was a bunch of boiled quail eggs strong up on a kebab skewer and dipped in a seasoned batter and sesame seeds and then deep-fried.

farm3.static.flickr.com

Looks like somebody still makes them.

dickfreckle		2012-02-24 09:51:31 PM

I've not been to Burma or India, but damn do I have fond memories of the street food in Philadelphia and NYC.

I live in a well-known food town but we have a ban on food carts excepting this one particular hot dog vendor that not only sucks, but charges the ridiculous prices for awful grub you might expect when the law dampens competitors. They're the cable companies of street food. They (the one existing vendor) aren't the source of the ban, though - it's the brick/mortar restaurants whining that they can't possibly compete with carts. Lucky Dog (where Ignatius worked if you ever read Confederacy of Dunces) is the lone street vendor.

In my time in the Northeast, I really, really enjoyed getting something that resembled actual food while still being mobile and not having to wait for a waitress who disappeared for 10 minutes after saying she'd be back with my check. Not that I dislike servers - I used to be one - just sayin' that you don't always have time to sit down and eat but you don't want some fake 'food' from a fast food hut, either. Some of the best goddamn sandwiches/meals I've had in my life were $5 on Market St. in Philly while dragging my unshaven and hungover ass to some place or another.

ArgusRun		2012-02-24 09:54:20 PM

Tongue taco> tamale

No Liege waffles?

Also, hot dogs are awesome.

As is falafel.

olddinosaur		2012-02-24 09:55:28 PM

If you're ever in Istanbul, invest 10 cents in one of those ring--shaped breads, about 12 inches in diameter. They look like an overgrown pretzel, but without the twist.

\\\ Simple.

\\\ Perfect.

\\\ Delicious.

optional		2012-02-24 09:55:50 PM

List fails without döner.

IlGreven		2012-02-24 09:56:08 PM

Kanemano: currywurst is a hot dog, just saying

Also, burek is basically a stuffed pretzel.

beefoe		2012-02-24 09:56:33 PM

Eckyhade: You forgot to mention Peoples Park and Newton Circus in Singapore. But yes the asian hawker stand is where to go. I'll bet you went to the Beach Club Cafe in KL after you ate?

I've been to ones in Singapore more recently which are much cleaner and probably have better food than the ones in KL, but the sketchiness of some in KL adds to the ambiance, then again, it's been years since I've been there so maybe they are nicer now. Only got food poisoning once in six months in KL and that was from a street cart one of my Malay colleagues took me to.

jtown		2012-02-24 09:58:01 PM

Oh, man, I really want a hot dog in a pretzel bun. Tell me that doesn't sound awesome.

Apos		2012-02-24 09:59:09 PM

Nothing beats African suya on a skewer. Nothing.

toddalmighty		2012-02-24 09:59:55 PM

They all come with clam juice.

Tchernobog		2012-02-24 10:01:18 PM

Doubles in Trinidad.
List fails without them.

bonerici		2012-02-24 10:04:17 PM

come on, chicken feet, tamales and a german hot dog?

There is so much better food for mexico, even the corn on the cob would be a better choice than the tamale. chicken feet just dont have any taste it's like fat smeared on a roasted toenail. And if you want hotdogs, you better be talking chicago hotdogs, not german ones.

There are some amazing mediterranean street food I'm not expert but I know there are some amazing shawarma and falafal sandwhiches,

I have to think there is something about being a UK foodie that makes you skip both arab and mexican food.

LawyersRock		2012-02-24 10:07:16 PM

The meat-on-a-bun street vendors while late night drunkenly walking through Vienna were awesome. Some of the best I have ever had.

MemeSlave		2012-02-24 10:08:10 PM

Hipster thread.

Passive Aggressive Larry		2012-02-24 10:08:29 PM

I'm an adventurous eater and I'd love to try every one of these. The only one I am familiar with is tamales. I never used to care for them very much, the typical tamale from your typical mexican restaurant isn't anything to get excited about, and usually seemed to be served as more of an afterthought rather than a centerpiece to any meal. But then I had a tamale from The Tamale Place in Indianapolis.... now I get it. So quick, so cheap, so delicious. If anyone lives close to Indianapolis and wants some kick ass authentic tamales, go to the farking Tamale Place. It's not very far from the Speedway, I think. It's ridiculous to find a tamale that good in the middle of Indiana. I think it was on that Diner's and Drive-in's show recently, so it might be busy now, and deservedly so.

olddinosaur		2012-02-24 10:08:32 PM

Apos: Nothing beats African suya on a skewer. Nothing.

Okay dammit, you got me! Tell me what it is, and soon as you do, you win the thread.

9beers		2012-02-24 10:10:21 PM

I think the best street vendor food I've had are the jambon-beurre sandwiches sold in France. I ate the hell out of them while in Paris. Pretty basic but oh so delicious.

d2k9njawademcf.cloudfront.net

Inigo_Montoya		2012-02-24 10:12:18 PM

Well, I think everybody here could go for a 16th schnitzengruben

Blackbird		2012-02-24 10:14:57 PM

Taiwanese street foods (new window) are awesome.

Oyster omelets, oyster vermicelli, stinky tofu, Taiwanese style meat balls, sticky rice in bamboo, shaved ice, sweet tofu, fried chicken, various grilled meats and seafood, etc

I May Be Crazy But...		2012-02-24 10:15:11 PM

Passive Aggressive Larry: I'm an adventurous eater and I'd love to try every one of these. The only one I am familiar with is tamales. I never used to care for them very much, the typical tamale from your typical mexican restaurant isn't anything to get excited about, and usually seemed to be served as more of an afterthought rather than a centerpiece to any meal. But then I had a tamale from The Tamale Place in Indianapolis.... now I get it. So quick, so cheap, so delicious. If anyone lives close to Indianapolis and wants some kick ass authentic tamales, go to the farking Tamale Place. It's not very far from the Speedway, I think. It's ridiculous to find a tamale that good in the middle of Indiana. I think it was on that Diner's and Drive-in's show recently, so it might be busy now, and deservedly so.

It's not really that hard to make tamales. You have to be able to find the masa, which could be hard in Indianapolis if there aren't any Mexican neighborhoods nearby, but making them is more time consuming than hard. And fresh tamales are darn tasty.

ko_kyi		2012-02-24 10:15:28 PM

mohinga is kind of hit or miss. When it is good it is great, when bad it is fishy and over salty. A good mohinga has fresh fish, made with yellow peas, and is augmented with fresh lime juice, roasted chili peppers, and fresh cilantro.

SageC		2012-02-24 10:15:29 PM

Lonely Planet can eat a dick flavored cookie, not one American dish on the list... the nation who have perfected this...
simplyrecipes.com

this...

and especially, this...
firehazard.files.wordpress.com

Indubitably		2012-02-24 10:16:23 PM

SageC: Lonely Planet can eat a dick flavored cookie, not one American dish on the list... the nation who have perfected this...
[simplyrecipes.com image 520x347]
this...
[slice.seriouseats.com image 500x375]
and especially, this...
[firehazard.files.wordpress.com image 600x542]

Hunger-Sage-C...

;)

apoptotic		2012-02-24 10:16:53 PM

I'm suddenly craving souvlaki, which is weird since it didn't make the list.

whatshisname		2012-02-24 10:17:02 PM

Cambodian street food. I'll give it a try.

ko_kyi		2012-02-24 10:19:58 PM

also, list fails without tacos lengua

Bazinga In My Pants		2012-02-24 10:20:08 PM

9beers: I think the best street vendor food I've had are the jambon-beurre sandwiches sold in France. I ate the hell out of them while in Paris. Pretty basic but oh so delicious.

bubo_sibiricus		2012-02-24 10:20:12 PM

Yoyo: I also find it peculiar that the article italicizes mole (the Mayan word for sauce) as a foreign word, but not salsa (the Spanish word for sauce).

That's because salsa (the dance, music, and the sauce) is now an English word.

Mole will be one day.

The problem with defending the purity of the English language is that English is about as pure as a cribhouse whore. We don't just borrow words; on occasion, English has pursued other languages down alleyways to beat them unconscious and rifle their pockets for new vocabulary. -James D. Nicoll

El Pachuco		2012-02-24 10:22:00 PM

Takoyaki: Japanese snack, dough balls cooked in a special iron pan, each one a bit smaller than a golf ball. The dough has chunks of pre-cooked octopus - tako means octopus, yaki means grilled usually, or just cooked - scallions and pickled ginger. When done, they are served in 100 yen, 200 yen or 300 yen size orders and are covered with bonito dried fish flakes, dried seaweed, mayo, and plum sauce. I used to get them from this like 100 year-old woman who had a cart in my middle-of-nowhere Osaka neighborhood, from like 9pm - 1am a few nights a week. Definitely food for drunks.

farm2.static.flickr.com

Above, being cooked. Beats the hell out of chicken McNuggets.

MrFisher_84		2012-02-24 10:22:38 PM

I've never lived in a place that had "street food" of any kind. Unless you count roadkill.

WaywardSon		2012-02-24 10:22:42 PM

Turkish kebabs sold from vending carts on the streets of Germany. I'm a sucker for authentic Mexican and Italian, but I'll be damned if those kebabs weren't the best things I've ever tasted.

chookbillion		2012-02-24 10:22:46 PM

I'll pass on the "walkie-talkies", although I do remember my mum giving me chicken feet to play with when I was a kid. You could pull on the tendon and make the toes move and grab things; it was a lot of fun. Also, the foot would keep for 2 or 3 days in you kept it in the fridge between playtimes.
When eating tamales, should the corn husk be removed first? The photo in the article makes it look like it should be. I've never had one, so I'm not sure. I do remember seeing the Tamale Place in Indianapolis when I was there about 10 years ago. How about that.

Passive Aggressive Larry		2012-02-24 10:22:50 PM

I May Be Crazy But...:
It's not really that hard to make tamales. You have to be able to find the masa, which could be hard in Indianapolis if there aren't any Mexican neighborhoods nearby, but making them is more time consuming than hard. And fresh tamales are darn tasty.

I'm a pretty good cook, and I made some of my own, but they just don't compare to what I got at The Tamale Place. It's the difference between a good cook simply replicating a recipe, and some old school Mexican lady that knows the little secrets and uses some handed down recipe that turns a simple dish amazing. I can see why it's such a popular street food, it's not messy and you can make a bunch at a time.