The growing industry of Street Food has brought an artisan touch to the masses and every part of the world has its own version of Street Food. The sharing of meals with other loads of people whether you’re standing or sitting, much of whom with unfamiliar faces or have never spoken to will surprisingly meet halfway patronizing the same plate, facing the same stall, standing on the same street that makes it more enjoyable.

Although I enjoy refine and spick and span cuisines in some well-off restaurants, it’s often my quest and choice for street foods around the world that remains on the ground and keeps me coming back from the country I visited.

When I’m out of the country (pleasure or business), one thing that I would intentionally visit will be the capital city’s street food. Visiting street food means being able to understand innately the people, culture, and its history. Plus, it allows us to make greater personal discoveries and be able to talk with the locals while having a smoky bite of the most flavorful meat bowl.

The chaos and laughter on the street will never be the same without street food –the ones that feed the soul. And to those of you who agree, here I preach further some of the most-visited and the best of the culinary choir in every part of the world you’ll taste and see! One food at a time.

Bangkok, Thailand

The surest way to get in touch with the people in Thailand is through street food. Even so, it’s a little intimidating for newbies or foreigners to try what they think is bizarre food. The moment you walk along Bangkok Street you can witness the high concentration of people busy in these areas. Bangkok street food comes in many sizes, shapes, colors, and tastes. Some are put up in a humble carts on the side of the road, in stalls, or in shophouses that have tables piled onto the pavement.

Most Thai use fresh ingredients and as a surprise, they’re also innovative in that some of their foods are self-discovery that making them more authentic to the visitors’ sweet tooth.

Must-try popular dishes:
Pad Thai Kung (noodle with shrimp), Som Tam (papaya salad), Khao Pad (fried rice), Khao Mun Gai (steamed chicken on rice), and Moo Bing (grilled chicken or pork skewers).

Tokyo, Japan

Tokyo is one of the most expensive places to dine in restaurants. However, Tokyo also has plenty of delectable food items that are within your budget. The traditional street food here appears to offer a great number of offerings both sweet and savory. The finest downtown in Tokyo is full of yatai (small food stalls) where you can find the cheapest, yet high-quality and delicious street foods.

Must-try popular dishes:
Takoyaki (octopus balls), Yakisoba (fried noodle), Yakitori (skewered chicken), Imagawayaki (Japanese dessert), Ikayaki (grilled squid), Taiyaki (fish-shaped cake), Dango (dumplings), Crepes, Dango (dumplings from rice flour), Kakigori (shaved ice with fruit-flavored syrup), and Okonomiyaki (savory pancakes).

Taipei, Taiwan

Taiwan aside from its a home of many hiking trails; can also hit the road of paradise street food. After the sun subsides, the studded night market will rise left and right with hundreds of street foods to choose from –a complete belly-bursting food trip experience. One of the most popular choices, when you visit here, is in Shilin, Ningxia, Tonghua, and Raohe. Choices after choices you’ll be chasing squid on a stick, deep-fried taro balls, and stinky tofu. For a normal taste experience, there are black pepper pork buns and fried chicken with a variety of dips too.

Must-try popular dishes:
Taro balls, Chadofu (Stinky Tofu), Peanut ice cream roll, Scallion pancakes, Gua Bao (the Taiwanese Burger), Ba-wan (Taiwanese meatballs), stick rice sausage, and cold noodles with miso dressing.

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

The street food in Ho Chi Minh City is one of the busiest and the best cities in Vietnam. Pile up a plastic stool on the sidewalks and every stall offers a signature dish, with a background noise of bumpy scooters and vehicles –the great place to grab a bite in ‘Saigon’. It’s the only city center that is surrounded by the sizzling smell of pancakes and fish rolls and wakes you up with the morning aroma of crab fried noodles and soups covered with chili. Some of the defining food in Vietnamese cuisines include a robust flavor of seafood noodles, rice cakes and freshly baked meat, and loaves of bread.

Must-try popular dishes:
Banh Mi (baguette sandwich), Goi Cuon (Vietnamese spring rolls), Pho noodles (beef noodles), Hu Tieu (rice noodles), Oc (Vietnamese shellfish), Com Tam (broken rice), Bun Thit Nuong (Vermicelli noodles with grilled pork), Banh Xeo (crispy pancake), and Ca Kho To (caramelized fish in a clay pot).

Mumbai, India

People in this place have an exceptional food sense. Food in India has already a mixture of Muslim, Parsi, Gujarati, and Maharashtrian influences. So if you’re one of those foods savvy who travel just for food –India must be on top of your priorities. In the humid streets of Mumbai, you’re bound to come across the widely “snack for all seasons”. Even if you come a long way, I guarantee there’s no regret with their vegetarian and non-vegetarian shared street foods.

Must-try popular dishes:
Chicken Tikka, Masala Vada Pav (Indian burger), Nitrogen biscuit, Mutton Roll, Mutton Chicken Kabab, Kebab Rolls, Ragda Pattice, Sev Puri, Paneer Chilli, and Chocolate Paan.

Cartagena, Colombia

Cartagena de Indias in Colombia is the perfect location for the jungle a variety of flavored herbs that are mixed in all types of seafood, pork, and beef. The hustle and bustle of this city wouldn’t be completed without stopping by to join a similar crowd –you should not miss out on this. In old times, Colombia has taken the raves for gastronomy from their most staple street snacks, like Churros to a heavy meal like tamales (corn dough with meat and veggies), which are taken pride in their preparation.

Must-try popular dishes:
Arepas (cornmeal cake), Patacones (fried green plantains), Salchipapa (hotdog and fries with dip), Ceviche (seafood dish), Empanadas, and Almojabana (cheese bread)

Istanbul, Turkey

Istanbulites have mastered the craft of freshly baked goodies and many other relatively heavy street foods. Turkish street foods are probably recognizable as homes of bagels, indisputable pretzels, and burritos. Snakers from all over the world entice the stretch offering of sweet and savory culinary in Istanbul’s street. Whether you’re heading to work or waiting on the subway, you must fund your stomach with this best street food that comes so handy for everyone to take a bite everywhere in the downtown vehicle station.

Must-try popular dishes:
Simit (Turkish bagels), Balik-ekmek (fish sandwich), Lahmacun (Turkish pizza), Dürüm, Tantuni, Midye dolma (mussels on the half shell), Kokorec (skewered sheep’s intestines with bread), Humor (baked potato with a myriad of toppings), and Börek (burrito).

Cairo, Egypt

If you’re in Cairo, you must try the best of their street foods at least once. For those who are skeptical whether or not to try street food in other countries –exclude Cairo. Combined with different Egyptian national authentic tastes and high-quality ingredients –traveling becomes more of an experience with food. The best takeaways in Cairo are shawarma and kofta. Others are mixed rice stuffed with so many fillings, kebabs, and deep-fried cookies.

Must-try popular dishes:
Fuul (fava beans with a lot of spices), Kohara (mixture of rice), Taameya (fried fava beans), Kofta kebabs (lamb or meatballs), Fitter (Egyptian pancake), and Hawawshi (Egyptian sandwich).

Marrakech, Morocco

Aside from country music, Moroccans are street food aficionados! Nowhere in Marrakech, social gatherings on the streets are incredibly crowded not mainly because of music jams but because of food. Day and night the streets here are the same, from pastries and sandwiches to soup and animal heads. So good that you can’t resist just wanting to belong in the crowd and sit.

Must-try popular dishes:
Chebakia (Moroccan cookie), Ma’qud Fried (potato balls), Sheep heads, Harira (Moroccan soup), B’stilla (special pie), and Snail soup.

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Ideal street food by the beach? Yes, it exists! It’s on the beach in Rio de Janeiro’s eating by the water setting. Food that probably pulls you here is their savory filling with bits of chicken empanada and tapioca crepes. The best option while sunbathing with gals and dudes. The tropical fruits in Brazil made into frozen popsicles known as sacoles and juices are the best choices of cooling while roaming around the beach. Plus! Street foods here are budget-friendly so you need to scout for more work after your vacation!

Must-try popular dishes:
Pastel, Tapioca (fried cassava flour), Pão de queijo (cassava cheese buns), popcorn, Bolinho de bacalhau (coated in flour codfish), Coxinha (shredded chicken dumpling-like), Coalho (cheese on a stick), empanadas, Brigadeiro and (condensed milk heated with cocoa powder).

Manila, Philippines

The Philippines has many beautiful countries to visit and it’s also obvious that Filipinos have an exceptional love for food. Filipinos take three meals on a regular day and at least a cup or two cups of rice. Yet, they still enjoy eating snacks in between meals and this is when street food becomes essential in the country. Filipinos are a fan of “tusok-tusok” or food on the stick like any other country. Street foods in the Philippines are cheap, handy, have a variety of flavors, and easy-to-find everywhere.

Must-try popular dishes:
Isaw (pork or chicken intestine), Betamax (blood of pig), Cheese Stick (dipped fried cheddar cheese), Banana Cue (banana coated with caramelized sugar), Turon (caramelized banana wrapped in spring roll wrapper), Taho (silken and sweetened tofu), fried chicken skin, Balut (fertilized duck egg), and Kwek-kwek (quail eggs covered with orange flour).

Beijing, China

China has a hundred locations of traditional street foods. You can find it on alleyways, and parks organized in stalls and some are in courts, well-hidden among the narrow paths of Beijing. They have claimed to have over 200 assorted street foods and drinks that no one can resist if you pass by. Lots of foodies on the street from the ones on sticks mold into circles to exotic nibbles like seahorses and scorpions. You can see the most visited snack street on Wangfujing street, Guijie street, and Nujie Muslim street.

Must-try popular dishes:
Bao (steamed buns), Jiānbing (fried pancake), Tánghúlu (candied Chinese hawthorn), Yóutiáo (fried sticks of dough), Ròujiāmó (Chinese burgers), Chuàn ( meat or beef on skewers).

Disclaimer:

Please note that this article is written for inspiration and a better future travel experience only. This does not mean we encourage our readers to travel during the pandemic. To someone who wishes to travel this time, we would recommend to our audience to please check and follow the Travel Advisories for your intended destination and choose the method that works best for you. Also, the details above may vary to change at any time.