Street food around the world

Street food both entices and terrifies travelers. To sample the food that is sold by vendors on street corners is surely one of the quickest ways to delve into the tastes and yearnings of a culture. But pick the wrong vendor and it can also be the quickest way into several days worth of stomach cramps (and more). Terry Ward recently surveyed the street food of different countries for World Hum, though, and recommended eight of the planet’s best cities for enjoying this local cuisine. A few of her recommendations:

Mexico City, Mexico – Mexico City’s street food is deliciously diverse, from tubes of fried dough powdered with cinnamon called churros to roasted corn to carnitas and freshly squeezed fruit juices. But perhaps the best dish in the capital is the ubiquitous tacos al pastor, found on nearly every street corner. Hunks of marinated pork topped with pineapple are cooked gyro-style on a spit until tender. Then chunks are sliced off and served atop two-bite corn tortillas. Cilantro, chopped onion and a squeeze of lime make a perfect garnish. 

Istanbul, Turkey – Pushcarts laden with inexpensive eats are practically as prevalent as people in Istanbul, where you can find sustenance for every meal without ever entering a restaurant. For breakfast, take your Turkish coffee or tea with simit—a donut-shaped piece of bread covered with sesame seeds that’s lovely with jam or cheese. Kofte—skewers of minced meat shaped into sausage-like forms that are grilled and stuffed into bread—make a good lunch. And you can puzzle-piece together dinner by hitting vendors selling corn on the cob (grilled or boiled), lahmajun (grilled flat bread topped with a thin layer of meat, tomatoes, onions, peppers and parsley) and midye dolma (mussels stuffed with rice, pine nuts, raisins and fresh herbs).

Stone Town, Zanzibar- Come sunset in Stone Town, Forodhani Gardens on the waterfront turns into a spectacle of brazier-bound seafood, salivating tourists and feral cats foraging for leftovers. “It’s a total seafood orgy—I’ve never seen so many fish and crustaceans getting chopped and skewered,” said Christopher Vourlias, a World Hum contributor who puts Forodhani on his shortlist of all-time best street eats. Think lobster, crab claws, shrimp, barracuda, octopus and skewers of flopping fresh fish. Due to its popularity with tourists, seafood here is pricey by local standards. Expect to pay about $4 for lobster and one or two bucks for a skewer of snapper. You’ll save cash by feasting like the locals do, opting for goat meat skewers, grilled cassava, spiced naan bread and samosas.

Check out the entire story for more recommendations in Morocco, Vietnam, Korea and other countries.

Related posts:

1. Travel destinations for food lovers ...
2. Romancing the food in Southeast Asia ...
3. The foods of Mexico ...