Street food

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Posted at 10:57AM, 14 March 2008 by Graham Holliday - food writer

It gets desperate when you start seeing a chestnut seller on Petticoat Lane as exotic. The fact is Britain, and much of mainland Europe for that matter, doesn't do street food. Chestnuts and hotdogs are as snazzy as we Brits get. The climate doesn't help us of course, but is that an excuse?

Korea gets way chilly in the winter, yet street food is everywhere and people still go out to eat it. No, for a nation stacked with food magazines, gastropubs and more 'sleb chefs than you can throw a meat cleaver at Britain is missing out big time when it comes to street food. The irony is that many of the most popular dishes in Britain live on the street in the native environment.

Chestnuts and hotdogs are as snazzy as we Brits get. The climate doesn't help us of course, but is that an excuse?

Head to Mexico and the best Tacos are found on street stalls like this one near the border with the United States. In Accra, the capital of Ghana, you'll find FuFu pounders on every street corner hammering plantains in big heavy mortars to make the popular thick, pasty street dish.

Street corners in Bethlehem have hole in the wall falafel shacks serving up the hummus, pickle and broad bean filled pita bread snacks. Head to Bangalore in India for a Pav Bhaji hit, or further east still to Burma for a breakfast of fishy noodles on the streets of Mandalay.

What with the ever growing popularity of food experimentation and the massive upturn in dining out in Britain these days, you'd think we could come with something more than chestnuts and hotdogs...

Comments

clairu-claira

17 March, 8:58PM
clairu-claira

i would love to sell my beautiful cakes biscuits in the street, anyone wanna donate me some money to get this up n runnin?? eh??

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Alfred

20 March, 8:18AM
Alfred

Trading in the street in the UK is strictly forbidden without a license. If you do you are liable to arrest. Perhaps this is why we donÂ´t have street food here.

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Maggie

23 March, 3:16AM
Maggie

Great street food though, in Canada the only street foods you can get are similar to what you can get in England Graham. Perhaps you may want to write for a great Canadian online magazine: www.citystyleandliving.com take a look and drop a line KandS

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goodgrub

23 March, 11:37AM
goodgrub

Try Banitsa's in Bulgaria, mmmmmmmmmm Filo pastry cooked with butter, eggs and feta cheese. It is the staple, warm breakfast food over here and can be bought on all street corners. marvellous!

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