Food is a very crucial part of the travel experience, as well as our everyday lives. One of the best approaches to understanding the culture and history of a particular place is through their dishes. While most people may decide to book reservations at big-name restaurants, we agree that to have the best taste of food in a new location, one has to go to the streets.
Eating street food isn’t just a cheap way of filling up your stomach, it also makes way for a whole new world of delicious dishes. From pushcarts to kiosks, you will find out that the best local delicacies are prepared by locals on the street, rather than big-name restaurants. Ranging from the well-known gelato to the American hot dog, here are six different countries with their famous street food.
1.Anticucho (Peru)
Anticucho is one of the most popular street foods in Peru that can be prepared with all sorts of meat but is mainly made with beef heart. The meat is spiced with garlic, pepper, and vinegar before it is roasted with vegetables, including onions, pepper, carrots, etc. This meat is seasoned with salt or lemon juice and is served with a local sauce made of garlic, onion, etc. It can as well be served with boiled potato or bread.
2.Rød Pølse (Denmark)
This Danish street food is prepared with pork meat lightly smoked over beach wood. Rød Pølse is one of the foods that Denmark is famous for and known for its red color and is prepared with spices such as nutmeg. This Danish street food was first prepared in the 1920s by vendors that would color sausages with red dye and sell them off at affordable prices. This dish later became a well-known food, and it continued to please the customers. Rød Pølse is normally prepared in a seasoned broth with certain condiments. This Danish street food is also known as the Danish variety of hot dogs, as they are placed in a bun after being prepared, then served with condiments including ketchup, mustard, etc.
3.Bunny Chow (South Africa)
This dish is often called “bunny” by South African locals. Bunny chow is a well-known South African street dish that was first prepared by the Indian community in Durban. This street food consists of hollowed bread filled with curry, chicken, mutton, and beans. This street food is usually eaten with hands, but it can be served with a salad with carrots, chili, and onion.
4.Crepe (France)
This dish was first prepared in Brittany. Crepe is a thin pastry famous throughout France, Belgium, and Canada. It is prepared with all sorts of fillings, and there are two different types of crepe: (sweet crepe) which is prepared with wheat flour and mainly eaten for breakfast, and (savory galettes), which is prepared with buckwheat flour.
Sweet crepes are usually made with custard, sliced fruits then dusted with fresh fruit. If you prefer the savory galettes, it’s made with fillings of cheese, egg, and all sorts of meat.
5.Gelato (Italy)
Although gelato is ice cream in Italian, most people might not know that it’s different from the common ice cream. Gelato is prepared with milk, sugar, cream, and flavored with nuts or fruits. This famous Italian street food is much lower in fat ratings than the usual American ice cream. Gelato is prepared with 3.5% butterfat. You should also notice that gelato is much more flavored and has less air than normal ice cream, giving it that unique flavor that made it popular throughout the world.
6.Hot Dog (United States)
The hot dog is one of the most famous American street food. It is also found in restaurant menus, stores, and stadiums, adding up to hot dog joints in big cities like New York. And all these are particularly common in the hot dog culture. The hot dog is served with a grilled or cooked sausage placed on a bun, then garnished with whatever the customer wants, which may include ketchup, cheese, chili, etc. Preparing hot dogs may differ by location, and you should find some of the best prepared American hot dogs located throughout the country.
Pushcarts and sidewalk sellers in big cities known for classic dining, most of the best-prepared meals are on the streets. Most cities have even blurred the line between cuisine and street food. That might still be the expectation, but most cooks on the streets don’t seek that kind of recognition. They only want to cook for the crowd who queue up to their stands daily.
Food and travel are considered to be part of life’s greatest experiences. Although we might enjoy classy meals at restaurants, it is usually the street food quest that enlightens us the most in different ways.