Street food is just about the buzziest of buzzwords in food right now. In London street food markets are popping up left right and centre and music festivals up and down the country have been relying on our favourite street food traders to fill up hungry revellers in style.
Street food is nothing new. Escape Europe and the USA and street food is ingrained into society. In fact, for many street food is the food you eat when you're away from home and your mama's cooking; it is breakfast on the way to work, a quick lunch or dinner, an afternoon snack or satisfying late night dessert. It's what people what to eat, where they want to eat it; from a smokey BBQ laden with satay in Jakarta to a grilled cheese sandwich covered in red onion and green chillies on Chowpatty Beach, it's always the best food, cooked in the best way and I love it!
It is so exciting that this delicious way to eat has hit the UK with such a bang. Passionate traders that serve one dish, which is cooked to perfection, are enticing us all. Ingredients are fabulous and the atmosphere is always as fun as the food itself. If you have not enjoyed a pillowy soft steamed Yum Bun stuffed with braised pork, or a paneer filled Dosa Deli doused in tamarind chutney, please do so, so that you can experience the utter joy of it all.
Over the past few years my books have taken me to some of the most amazing places in the world. I have eaten street food like a king and met some real characters on the way.
These are my top street food dishes right now from around the world -
The Place - Kuala Lumpur
The Dish - Char Kueh Toew - stir fried noddles with prawns and egg
The Venue - Any hawker stall round the city will serve this fabulous dish. Add extra chilli for even more of a kick.
The Place - Hanoi, Vietnam
The Dish - Bun Cha - a fishy soup with noodles, masses of herbs and wonderful BBQ'd pork patties.
The Venue - Any street corner in the city. Pull up a pew, or be it tiny stool, and get slurping.
The Place - Istanbul, Turkey
The Dish - Pide - think a cracking pizza, minus the cheese, with the side rolled up
The Venue - Ciya on the Asia side of the city, watch out their kebap is killer to.
The Place - Fez, Morocco
The Dish - Bessara - broad bean soup, seasoned with chilli and ground cumin
The Venue - A tiny hole in the wall, by the magnificent Blue Gate. Get there early to avoid queues it's only open for lunch.
The Place - Beijing, China
The Dish - Scorpions on sticks - yes they are still wriggling before they are BBQ'd
The Venue - The night market, Donghhuamen. From hot dogs to arthropods you can eat everything in this awesome market.
The Place - Oaxaca, Mexico
The Dish - Ginormous tosdadas with black beans and cheese
The Venue - Chose from one of several stalls in the Mercado Benito Juarez. Watch the chilli salsa is very hot.
The Place - Mumbai, India
The Dish - Grilled Panner with green chutney
The Venue - Marine Drive, just by the cricket ground, you will know when you smell it!
The Place - Seoul, S. Korea
The Dish - Pa Jun, a wonderful seafood omelette
The Venue - Any of the raucous restaurants on Gangnam-daero and Bongeunsa-ro 2 cross streets, in the horse-ridingly famous Gangnam District.
The Place - London, UK
The Dish - The Rib Man, pulled pork sandwich - firey hot and moreish good.
The Venue - The Rib Man @ Street Feast
http://www.streetfeastlondon.com/
For more of my street food recipes visit www.eattravellive.com