Street food is a fantastic way to immerse yourself in a culture. Here are some of the most popular street food around the world and where to get them. No matter if you’re looking for vegan food that gives you energy or fast and grassy food, here’s something for everyone, since some of those are among the best cities in the world for food, you won’t be disappointed.
Over one billion people travel every year. Many of those travelers set out to explore new lands in different countries that are far away from home.
Human reasons for temporarily migrating to new places are every bit as diverse as travelers themselves. As far as the people on our team go… The reason why we travel is to eat.
You read that right! We travel to chow down on tapas in Barcelona, fish, and chips in London, and yes, escargot in Paris.
Sampling street food around the world is perhaps the greatest activity that one can undertake in their lifetime. In this post, we share with you the absolute best street-side cultural delights that we’ve had the pleasure of tasting in our travels.
Best Street Food Around the World
1. Straight-Up Fish Tacos
We’ve been to a lot of Mexican restaurants around the United States. Do you know what most of them do? They try really hard to complicate fish tacos.
They’ll throw black beans in there, they’ll use expensive types of fish, corn, and everything else under the sun.
Guess what? Fish tacos don’t need any extra help!
Street food vendors in Mexico get that (particularly in the Ensenada area). When you step up to a legit fish taco stand in Mexico, expect a $1.00 or less basic yet delicious taco comprised of a handmade tortilla, a slab of fish, cabbage, tomato, onion, and a delicious sauce.
2. Pork and Shrimp Spring Rolls
Any street food that includes rice paper and vermicelli noodles is a winner in our book. It just so happens that the pork and shrimp spring rolls that they sell on the streets of Vietnam include both of those things, plus pork and shrimp!
How can you go wrong with a combination like that?!
For the best Vietnamese street spring rolls, peak around Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, or Hue.
3. Pad Thai
Spend ten minutes in Bangkok and odds are you’ll have drank a fruit smoothie and have eaten $1.00 pad thai. Both of those items, particularly the pad thai, are to die for.
Bangkok’s Khao San Road serves up pad thai all day to keep the young drinkers of the world fed between binges. You can also find some quality noodles in other parts of the country (Krabi is a great street food spot).
These options are available if you’re trying to hunt down quality Thai and other cuisines domestically.
4. Mango Lassi
Sometimes, you’re just not hungry (we’ve never experienced this, but appreciate that you may have). In these rare cases, you may be looking more for a street beverage than you are street food.
To satiate your thirst, head down to India or Malaysia to pick up a Mango Lassi. Lassis are traditional Indian drinks that mix mint, fruit, and yogurt into a thick and deciduous smoothie.
The smoothie is served both warm and cold, but try to get it cold to enjoy what we think is the optimal drinking experience.
5. Elote
Mexico’s favorite street vegan food in the world is undoubtedly elote. For the uninitiated, elote is a large ear of corn with a stick hammered through its bottom which enables eaters to hold it like a lollipop. The corn is topped with mayo, cotija cheese, and chili.
This simple and cheap delicacy might sound a little far-fetched, but believe us when we say that it’ll feel perfectly at home in your mouth.
6. Banh Mi Sandwich
Vietnam is famous for its street food, so don’t be surprised by the fact that the second one of its dishes have made it onto our street food around the world all-stars list. The Banh Mi Sandwich is a simple dish that consists of toasted bread, pork, a variety of delicious greens, and of course, some chili’s to add a little bit of spice to the ensemble.
For extra effect, throw some Sriracha on your sandwich.
7. Cuban Croquettes
Do you love fried foods? What about ham? If you answered yes to both of those questions, book a flight to Havana and start chowing down on Cuba’s incredible croquettes.
Croquettes are basically fried ham balls. They also come in chicken and potato varieties.
What croquettes lack in flair, they make up for in flavor, so be sure to put this at the top of your street food around the world hit list!
8. Currywurst and Fries
Hanging out in Berlin? Head to the downtown area on the city’s train and ask any one of the vendors that you see for currywurst and fries.
Currywurst consists of Germany’s famous bratwurst covered in mouth-watering red curry. On the side of this incredible dish, many vendors will give you a handful of fries, which dip wonderfully in the curry on your plate.
9. Roasted Bugs
Roasted bugs round out the top of our street food list because, believe it or not, they’re absolutely delicious… Just kidding. They’re horrendous.
That being said, you’ll see a ton of people, particularly throughout Asia, selling everything from spiders to roaches for you to eat. The vendors will even snap a photo of you for your Instagram as you stick the bugs in your mouth.
Street Food Around the World Is Calling Your Name so Grab a Plane Ticket and Start Eating
Our team couldn’t include all of the street food around the world that’s worth eating on one list. So, be aware that international delicacies go well beyond what we’ve mentioned. To try the food that we’ve suggested and more, take that vacation money that you were planning to spend at Disneyland and instead use it to fly out of the country.
Believe us when we say that your trip to part’s unknown will be one that you and your mouth will never forget.
Check out more of the newest travel content on our blog if you’re craving additional great reads!
