welcome to mojo travels and today we're
counting down our picks for the top 10
best
street food countries are you a fan of
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for this list we're looking at nations
around the world that have distinguished
themselves as foodie destinations
we're not interested in gourmet
establishments and trend-setting
experimental cuisine however
this list is all about food hackers tiny
hole-in-the-wall takeout spots and food
carts
[Music]
number 10 south africa we begin our food
journey in the southernmost nation of
africa
the country is best known for its
safaris adventure activities and
breathtaking natural spaces
in the bustling cities of johannesburg
durban and cape town however
south africa is also distinguishing
itself as a culinary capital to watch
yes there are very exciting things being
done in brick and mortar establishments
but some of the country's best bites are
actually being served at street level
there is perhaps
no dish that you're likely to see more
of while exploring south africa than
bunny chow
curry stuffed into a hollowed-out loaf
of bread humble
yes but also convenient filling and
freaking delicious
pulling influence from various
indigenous groups as well as indian and
french cuisine
the street food of south africa
encompasses everything from local jerky
or biltong roti and various grilled
meats to sweets like milk tert and
malva pudding number nine turkey
located on the border of western asia
and southeastern europe
turkey is certainly a blend of cultures
a crossroad of civilizations dating back
thousands of years it's a destination
impossibly rich in history and culture
this saturates turkey at every level
right down to the most
humble of street foods in istanbul the
go-to grab-and-go snack is semit
a baked good that's somewhere between a
pretzel and a bagel
vendors are seemingly on every street
corner but simith by no means has
a monopoly other popular street foods
include durum
a flatbread wrap filled with donar kebab
meat
and soot miser corn on the cob fish
might not be the first protein that
comes to mind when you think of street
foods but in turkey
balikemek is ubiquitous especially along
the coast
who knew that fried and grilled fish in
a bun could be this good
commonly called turkish pizza abroad
lachmajoon is another
must try number eight thailand
though vietnam certainly gives it a run
for its money thailand is at the top of
the heap when it comes to diverse and
delicious cheap eats in southeast asia
seriously thailand even boasts a
michelin-starred street food institution
j phi with so many dishes to choose from
and with each city having its own
specialties to choose from however
it pays to do your research ahead of
time thai cuisine doesn't shy away from
sweetness
but that's often there to help balance
out serious heat
so consider yourself warned hothead or
not
you will fall in love with thai street
food pad thai and pad ceo
are the country's biggest culinary
exports but you haven't tried the real
thing until you've had it from a street
vendor
sometime is a papaya salad to die for
tom yum goong
is the only soup you'll ever need and
padra pao mo
might just change your life as for the
regional specialties you'll just have to
try them for yourself
number 7. morocco this north african
nation is often described as a feast for
the senses
its bazaars and marketplaces indeed live
up to the hype
and with so much in the way of historic
architecture the description can be
applied in more ways than
one that being said street food makes
morocco
quite a literal feast for your mouth and
taste buds
inexpensive grab-and-go bites of
traditional moroccan cuisine can be
found all across the country
but nowhere will you have a greater
concentration of options than in the
bustling marketplaces
arguably the most famous of its kind
gemma el finasquare and marrakesh is the
place to go for the very best street
food in the country
the sheer variety of dishes is
awe-inspiring the vendors are selling
everything from fresh juice and simple
baked goods like sponge
to babush steamed snails and sheep's
head
sardines murgus sausage and harira
are all must tries got a sweet tooth
don't miss the braewat and shbekia
number six
united states yes street vendors have
long been hawking hot dogs peanuts and
pretzels in major american cities
the end result can make the u.s feel
like one big ball game
and that's not a bad thing as you travel
the country however
every city has its own local specialties
like
the philly cheesesteak as you navigate
the southwest
tacos take over while in the east cuban
and puerto rican fair becomes a staple
of street vendors
being the melting pot that it is the
united states has seen its street food
grow
ever more diverse and tantalizing with
each wave of immigration
as new residents bring the dishes and
flavors of their homelands with them
adding to america's street food prowess
of course is the food truck boom
which happened bigger and better in the
united states than arguably anywhere
else
street food in america isn't rooted in a
single culture
it's a smorgasbord of international
flavors inconvenient packages
and let's not forget carnival food
number 5. singapore the city-state of
singapore is best known for its high-end
modern experiences from fine dining and
trendy nightlife to its cutting-edge
architecture and incredible green spaces
it's largely defined order and elegance
as such this might come as a surprise
but it should not be missed by
anyone who loves street food given that
chinese residents represent the largest
ethnic group
the food courts of singapore often feel
like the world's greatest
chinatown with singapore being such a
melting pot of asian cultures
it's also a great place to get an
international sampling
specifically southeast asian cuisine
hainanese chicken rice
tarkwe taiao and nasi lemak these are
really just your entry point to
everything singapore has to offer
while the vendors here borrow liberally
from other cultures
many of the preparations you find here
have evolved into something distinctly
singaporean
like sambal stingray a local malay
invention
number four india there are a few places
on earth where you can eat better for
less
if you're happy to skip the high-end
gourmet experiences
you can easily keep your dining budget
to a few dollars a day
to be clear this is not a compromise
it's arguably the best education in
indian food a traveler can get
with so much variation between the
different regional cuisines of india
it pays to travel around the country and
taste the difference for yourself
that being said one could easily spend
two weeks exploring the street food
vendors of mumbai
and never have the same thing twice
follow the crowds and you're sure to
find something new and delicious around
every corner
alutiki is a crisp fried potato fritter
that goes great with a variety of sauces
pani puri and daki puri are two local
favorites that you never have to look
too hard to find
when you need to cool down grab yourself
an ice cola
in india it's the simplest dishes that
often make the biggest
impression number three japan
it's easy to spend a small fortune on
food when traveling in japan
there's no shortage of iconic sushi
establishments that trade in
once-in-a-lifetime experiences
but one can eat just as well sticking to
the street food scene
which makes for an impressively diverse
culinary odyssey
as you pass street vendors grilling up
all varieties of meats and savory sauces
yakitori just try not to get hungry
takoyaki are small fried balls of batter
with morsels of seafood in the center
they're a testament to the fact that the
intricacy of japanese cuisine equally
extends to street side vendors
for a quick but filling dose of carbs
you can't go wrong with yakisoba noodles
grilled corn might not sound very exotic
but yakito morokoshi
with its soy sauce and meat in glaze
might have you re-evaluating your
commitment to butter and salt
from savory bite-size snacks like yoza
and koroke
to sweet japanese crepes and candied
fruit japanese street food consistently
delivers
and don't worry japan makes sushi work
as a street food too
number 2. mexico mexican cuisine has
made its way around the world in the
form of tacos
burritos and fajitas and rightfully so
but because of the popularity of its
most
iconic dishes the diversity of mexican
cuisine often goes underappreciated by
the masses
the quickest way to solve this issue a
street food tour
mexico city is experiencing something of
a cultural renaissance right now
and that thankfully extends to the
street food you see
street food is a deeply entrenched part
of mexican culture
with many stalls going back generations
street food isn't just for tourists
it's an intrinsic part of local life and
dining habits
tamales might be a humble dish but every
vendor puts their own little spin on
these wonderful steamed bundles of
masado
tortas sopes gorditas
there are tons of dishes to discover
food is highly regional in mexico
so while you may be tempted to focus on
the dishes you know best
you're robbing yourself of an
opportunity by skipping regional
specialties
like oaxaca's clayudas these tostadas
are topped with cheese
meat and mole sauce number one
china along the reigning champ china
maintains its crown as the place to go
for street food
regional cuisine is something to be
mindful of whenever taking a
food-centric trip
and there are few nations with more
distinct regional specialties than china
as such there are dishes to prioritize
in every city as you travel the country
in shanghai scallion pancakes and radish
fritters are the go-to
orders chengdu is the heart of sichuan
and as such dandan noodles are a must
try
though liangfen a mung bean dish is
another staple of local hawkers
in yunnan or kwai rice cakes are the top
pick
while hong kong surpasses all
challengers for the best wonton soup
beijing is best known for schwar and
jingbing but it's such a foodie mecca
that the options are
truly overwhelming as such we highly
recommend discovering the best of
chinese street food by joining a food
tour
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