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Street food. Chances are, if you’ve ever lived in or visited a major city on vacation or business, you’ve enjoyed the taste and convenience of local street food from a cart, stand, market stall, or outdoor plastic furniture cafe.
Growing up close to New York City, I remember gorging myself on giant pretzels so salty and delicious your heart would swell with joy (and fear) after just the first bite, steamy hot dogs blanketed in mustard and onions; the beckoning incense of grilled Italian sausage and peppers a mere street corner away.
With such tantalizing options as pillowy mustard streaked knishes, crispy falafel, and gyros so flavorful they could make a Stoic cry, I never understood what was supposed to be so exciting about places like McDonald’s and Burger King. Sure they made food that could fill you, but could they make foods that truly fulfilled you?
Perhaps the best place for street food was Chinatown. To a child, visiting it for the first time, Chinatown is as close as one can come to foreign travel without needing a passport. It was the place I began my lifelong affair with pork buns and so many other good tasting things.
Below are a few videos which highlight the street food scene in India, Korea, China, and Vietnam. Enjoy!
Looking for more information about street food throughout the world? On Monday, August 3rd, Anthony Bourdain will share his thoughts and experiences with street food on his Travel Channel show, No Reservations (the Down on the Street Episode).
You can see other recent Weekend Video Spotlight Videos here.
You can also see HuggingtheCoast.com’s growing collection of food, cooking, and travel videos here.
Please join us tomorrow to see this week’s Hugging the Coast.Com Week in Review, an overview of last week’s special food features (as well as selected previews from the week to come).
If you liked this video on HuggingtheCoast.Com, you might also enjoy:
- Yesterday’s Post: Gazpacho With Grilled Shrimp and Avocado Recipe (Fish For Friday Recipe)
- Indian Style Stuffed Peppers with Spiced Basmati Rice Recipe
- Mayo Free Salad Ideas: Quick and Easy Kimchi Macaroni Salad Recipe
- Indian Street Food: A Meal Fit for a Slumdog, a Millionaire, – or a Jumbo King!
- Mini Falafel Dogs With Creamy Cilantro Yogurt Dip Recipe
- Missing National Corndog Day (and Other Food on Sticks)!
(Photo Credit: Bob James by jubilo haku)
August 1st, 2009 at 5:48 pm
Love the local street food vendors!
Thanks for sharing,
CCR =:~)
August 2nd, 2009 at 7:55 am
I can honestly say that Street food is how you learn about the place you are visiting or perhaps even living in…..
August 3rd, 2009 at 10:08 am
I’m a street food fan.
It really is the best way to immerse yourself in the local culture right away.
August 3rd, 2009 at 10:35 pm
I just got done watching the “No Reservations'’ episode tonight all about street food. Now, seeing this post coupled with that, makes me doubly hungry for some tasty morsels bought off a cart. Yum!