9x street food from around the world you must try

When you can travel a little farther again, where would you like to go? If you’re anything like us, you’ve been adding to a list of the best travel destinations for months, with only one thing you need to know for sure: that you can eat incredibly well there. Whether that’s at the world’s most beautiful restaurants or simply standing on the street at a food stall: we want both!

Because of course it’s wonderful to be pampered at a table over lunch or dinner, with beautifully presented plates and bottles of good wine. But it’s at least as much fun to seek out the best street food a place has to offer. Follow the locals and make friends while gravy or sauce drips down your chin, and have the time of your life! These are nine types of street food you need to put on your bucket list pronto:

Tacos al Pastor from Tacos Manolo in Mexico City

Once you’re on Calle Luz Saviñon, all you have to do is follow the smell of roasted pork (and the crowds) to this taco cart, which has expanded into a brick-and-mortar restaurant thanks to its great success. You get a double taco here to prevent it from falling apart, and although tacos al pastor traditionally come with hot red salsa, here you also get the house specialty: a spicy peanut sauce.

Dim sum from Dim Sims in Melbourne

Down under, they affectionately call them ‘dimmies’, and what makes these specimens unique and immensely popular is that they are twice the size of an average dumpling. Filled with a mix of ground pork, beef and lamb and cabbage, these giant dimmies have been a hit in the city for sixty years. You’ll find Dim Sim at South Melbourne Market.

Tamales from street stalls in Chicago

Originally Mexican, Mexican Americans in Chicago apparently know exactly what they’re doing with this wonderful Mexican street food too. Pork or chicken stewed in red or green sauce, wrapped in masa, tied in corn husks and steamed until you can eat them while strolling through the Little Village or Pilsen neighborhoods (and raising a toast!). Bring cash and a bag, because you’ll want to buy a few extra to keep eating throughout the rest of the day.

Squid skewers from Fei Jie in Hong Kong

Near Ya Ma Tei station, on the corner of Fa Yuen and Dundas streets, you’ll find this simple place with yellow-green signs. The tender squid in a soy sauce marinade is a real hit here. You can also find skewers with more adventurous options such as pork intestines and turkey kidneys, but even that’s a bit much for us. The squid is the safe option, and apparently it’s absolutely delicious with spicy mustard and their sweet house sauce.

Pitas with falafel at Pockets in London

Fortunately, you can also find excellent falafel in the Netherlands (for example at Neni in Amsterdam), but if you’re spending a weekend in London and can stop by the Pockets falafel stall at Netil Market in London Fields: go (even if you’ll have to stand in line for a long time)! The only thing they sell is this falafel pita, and they’ve truly perfected it: pitas like soft little pillows, herby falafel, coleslaw, sumac onion rings and five (!) sauces. The pièce de résistance? A slice of potato dipped in batter and fried until mega-crispy, plus a whole roasted chili pepper. I HAVE to try this!!

Choripan from Nuestra Parilla in Buenos Aires

Just outside San Telmo Market on Bolivar, you’ll find this tiny place where owner Freddy serves the local community the best, no-nonsense ‘chori’s’. A grilled pork sausage in a white roll with a generous dollop of chimichurri; sometimes that’s all you need in life.

Tamagoyaki at Tsukiji Shouro Honten in Tokyo

In Japan, you stumble across amazing street food everywhere, with each okonomiyaki stall better than the next takoyaki stall. Tamagoyaki is also a classic: a rolled omelet with soy sauce or dashi that you can buy on a stick here, but also in an even more filling version on white bread with a generous spread of Japanese mayonnaise. Ultimate comfort food to eat while taking in the sights at this Tokyo market.

Tacos dorados de camarones at Mariscos Jalisco in Los Angeles

This taco truck is an institution: trendy food trucks come and go in this city, but Jalisco’s has been around for twenty years and has managed to stay strong for decades, partly thanks to this specialty’s status as a huge hit: a fried tortilla filled with shrimp, topped with avocado and drenched in salsa roja. Just writing this down makes my mouth water. You can find four trucks throughout the city, as well as a brick-and-mortar location, but the original truck has stood on Olympic Boulevard in Boyle Heights for twenty years. Every afternoon, cash only.

Kota from Kota King in Soweto, South Africa

We think this is a serious contender for Best Hangover Food Ever (alongside Australia’s spaghetti toastie): a large end section of a loaf of bread (including the heel/crust) that is hollowed out and filled with meat, cheese, egg, sauces and fries. Depending on where you are in South Africa, you may also come across it as spatlo or bunny chow. And if you can still eat for the next 24 hours after this, we salute you…

Read also:

• 10x the most delicious dishes in the world
• These are all the locations featured in Netflix Street Food: Asia
• Pack your bags (and bring a light wallet): these are the cheapest Michelin meals in the world

Source: Time Out