Street food is not just a way to quickly, cheaply and deliciously eat, but also an opportunity to immerse yourself in the culinary traditions of the city and try a dish that is not served anywhere else. We’ll tell you about the world’s street food capitals, where dozens of delicious dishes await you in every district:
Singapore
Singapore is the capital of street food in Southeast Asia, there are hundreds of types of it and it is sold everywhere. Don’t be afraid to experiment and try whatever you like: the city has the strictest sanitary and epidemiological control, thanks to which Singapore is the city with the safest street food. Each food stall also has a sign with the letters “A” through “D” on it, indicating the level of cleanliness.
Where to go: Maxwell Food Center, steps from Chinatown, is the largest and most famous hawker center in the city. There are more than five hundred food stalls, representing all Asian cuisines. The most authentic place in the city is Lagoon Food Village, which is located right on the beach.
Istanbul, Türkiye
Street food in Istanbul is a way of life. You won’t be able to walk down the street without bumping into a street vendor or a Bufe (a tiny shop selling drinks and sandwiches). Every street is a treasure trove of gastronomic variety, from Simit bagels, which vendors carry on trays on their heads, to Turkish Lahmacun pizza. Street food is generally safe, as Turks are cleanliness freaks. But still avoid eating undercooked meat and raw seafood.
Where to go: You will find street vendors on every corner. There is always a queue for the best of them, so be guided by this. Huge number of street food stalls near the Eminönü spice market and Küçükpazar. Stambul Eats, a blog run by two Istanbul gourmets for 12 years, will tell you about the best gastronomic places in the city.
Bangkok, Thailand
Over the past ten years, Bangkok has become the region’s street food capital thanks to its unique flavours, spices and food combinations. There are 12,000 hawkers in the city who sell hundreds of types of mouth-watering street food. But only 8,000 have a license (they will have a badge with a round smiling face on their tray).
Where to go: The streets of Yaowarat, Bangkok’s Chinatown and nearby Soi 38 night market are lined with vendor carts and are street food hubs. You can try the best noodles in the city (rice noodles with pork broth, vegetables, meat and chili) on the famous alley that runs along the canal from Victory Monument.
Rio de Janeiro
For locals, street food is an integral part of life. It is customary to start the day with a bowl of asai (ground acai berries),
for lunch there is esfiha (flatbread filled with beef and cheese) and for dinner acaraje (deep-fried bean and shrimp pies). Quality checks are common but not universal, so with the exception of acai, avoid cut fruits and vegetables.
Where to go: The Boho, where they sell the best acaraje in town. The huge beaches of Ipanema and Copacabana are lined with hundreds of stalls selling everything from grilled fish to tapioca pancakes with Nutella and bananas.
Mexico City, Mexico
Street food in Mexico dates back to long before the Spanish discovered America in 1516. Over the past five hundred years, the vendors’ offerings haven’t changed much: tacos with dozens of fillings, pulled pork, and salads reign everywhere. Unfortunately, street food isn’t particularly regulated, so don’t eat fruit salads because they don’t wash the fruit before cutting it. The best time to eat is during lunch (from 14 to 16) with the locals who will line up for the best traders.
Where to go: Zocalo The Centro Storico is teeming with street food carts. A five-minute walk south of Zocalo, you’ll find the best Tortas (meat-filled sandwiches) at Tortas Been on Calle Republica del Salvador. You’ll find the best pozole (hominy stew) on Calle San Ildefonso.
Palermo, Sicily
Here, as everywhere else in Italy, the pizza and pasta are excellent. But some local products are superior to them, and we will tell you about them. Chickpea fritters and spleen sandwiches are sold everywhere. Street food only threatens your waistline – most of the food is deep fried.
Where to go: You will find street vendors on every corner. But if you want to try the classic pane ca meusa (sandwiches with spleen and lungs – believe me, it’s much tastier than it looks) then go to Pani cà Meusa di Porta Carbone. And the freshest grilled fish is fried at Borgo Vecchio.
Marrakesh, Morocco
Street food in Marrakech delights all the senses with color, spicy smell, texture and taste. Despite the fact that sanitary control is gradually tightening the rules, some traders manage to violate them. Therefore, eat everything in the central squares, and do not buy raw foods outside the Medina, even in the form of salads and juices.
Where to go: Every night, Djeema el-Fna, the central square, transforms into a dining hall overflowing with grilled meats, flavorful tagines, soups and crumbly couscous.
