What is street food? And why am I so obsessed with it? In fact there are many different view to what counts as street food, as well as somewhat of a continuum with regards to what counts. This can often change depending on who you talk to and where you are.
And where is the best street food in the world? Again a question that will enlist a lot of answers, but one with which I feel I indeed know best.
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What is street food?
Street food is ready to eat meals and snacks that are predominately sold by vendors in public spaces – aka “The Street”. In the developed world they are often found in a variety of locations, such markets, fairs, events, as well as specific designated street food areas.
In the developing world street food is often not just more pervasive, but in many more places. Examples here include much of Africa and Asia where in bustling places every street seems to come alive after dark. These vary greatly in legality.
Street food’s popularity has come from directions, but generally speaking its speed, favour and affordability have been given as major factors. From a vendor point of view it is pure capitalism that anyone can do regardless of skill level.
What is considered street food?
OK, so we have defined what street food is, but what do people generally consider street food. This is something I have thought long and hard about, with it essentially being split into these groups.
True Street Food
True street food is what it sounds like and that is food cooked and prepared on the street; Generally speaking the carts are assembled and disassembled nightly, or emptied. Cooking is done on site and there might well be an out door seating area.
Semi-permanent street food
These are shops and even restaurants that have a real rustic feel (rather than put on) and serve what we would consider to be street food. They are often surrounded by street foods and exist very much in the same universe.
Constructed street food
The kind of things that you mostly find in the west, but come everywhere. I have seem them a lot in China and Malaysia for example. Basically food courts with a street food “theme” where people do cook and serve from mini-huts.
Food trucks and street food
Some consider this to be a completely different species to street food, but it is largely one and the same. Usually food trucks serve what is a mixture of fast food and street food, but it is more like the later as it is not usually a franchise.
Fake street food
OK, so I do not want to be too harsh with the fake street food thing, but many places are just street food in name only. This is where you get a nice restaurant, such “Ancient BBQ” in Shenzhen that is just street food themed.
This is where the dishes are inspired by street food, but the restaurant is a nice restaurant. Therefore even if the food court at Singapore airport has a restaurant casked “Street Food”, do not give it too much credence.
Fast food vs street food
I will later give this its own article, but when it comes to fast food vs street food there is a huge continuum. Essentially almost all street food is fast food in that it is served quickly. Indeed many of the dishes, such as burgers, or kebabs are the same. I would particularly argue this with fish and chips and kebab shops in the UK – both are fast food and street food. Chinese and Indian takeaways would not be part of this.
I would also overall not consider any form of franchise based fast food, such as McDonalds within the street food family.
Can anyone sell street food?
This is another area where quite literally zero two countries are the same at all, with even some countries differing greatly depending on the place, or time you are living.
Generally speaking though you can work on this theory, the poorer a place is the lesser the regulations and thus easier it is to start your very own street food business. They though can change greatly as things develop and I have seen many a street food hawker running away from the police high speed with his barrow!
The west can often be at the opposite spectrum with this. This can mean a food truck, or shack not only costing almost as much as a “real” restaurant.Also while cleanliness is indeed next to godliness often times regulations are so strict that you will never be able to get that true street food taste.
Is street food clean?
There is zero reason to be more worried about street food than “normal” food, with the cleanliness levels more often than not being of their country. I once had 4 months zero issue in Bangladesh, only to go to an international hotel and get food poisoning.
Generally speaking watch out for where looks busy and avoid those that look truly dirty, or no one visits. To be fair I did once see a story about a blogger who died after eating somewhere in India. Also try to avoid Pag Pag.
How many people eat street food?
It is estimated that there are 2.5 billion people that chow down to street food on a daily basis. Yes, daily and this means that street food is a big deal that feeds the masses.
It does though more than just literally feed the masses, it also figuratively does. Being an “independent” and often family profession this is one of the easiest businesses for those on lower incomes to become involved with.
I have personally witnesses this particularly in socialist countries like North Korea, or this transitioning into market economics.
Many a rags to riches story has started with some kind of hawker on the street!
And why do I love street food?
This is a subset that I previously wrote about, but to me street food is the gateway into travel, meeting people and truly learning about their food. In my 21 plus years of travel some of the best friends I have made and some of the best meals I have had were of the street variety.
Again I have also found that it is also a cracking place to drink, with people up for eating, drinking and overall breaking a bit of bread. On the street with the real people.