Street Foods- Harmful but Delicious

As the name suggests, street food pertains to convenient ready-to-eat food and beverages sold in crowded streets or along sidewalks strolling hawkers, either as a snack or occasionally as a meal.  The wide selection ranges from savories that are eaten with the fingers while driving to sweet foods for walking pedestrians.  The food is sold off baskets, trays or light wooden boxes strung around the neck or shoulder or balanced precariously on top of the vendor’s head. 

Another way these are sold is from portable stalls that can range from simple makeshift wood structures to sturdier kiosks, movable but usually secured in a more permanent location.  Some informal vendors in Hanoi sell their famous pho, or steaming clear soup served with meat and vegetables, served in plastic or metal bowls with wooden chopsticks.  As with other street foods, the lack of hygiene is enough to discourage the diner with a queasy stomach.  The lack of adequate water to clean utensils is a risk factor for the growth of potentially harmful bacteria.

Street foods range from fried meat or vegetable spring rolls, .  Some exotic foods sold in the street include balut, boiled duck egg with a developing embryo eaten by local Filipinos with gusto with a pinch of salt; deep fried scorpions served on a skewer sold by hawkers in many parts of China daring tourists to try them out.

Not just confined to the outdoors, which traces its origins in the open air markets in ancient Rome, street food has invaded more commercial establishments.  Since consuming street food can be viewed as a bite of the local culture especially for tourists, it is no surprise that the unique fare of different Eastern and Western countries are also sold in food courts or casual dining restaurants in shopping malls.  These establishments have made the seemingly lowly, inexpensive food of the masses the menu inspiration of big companies which serve it in a more formal setting. 

Though these are pricier, more assured hygiene standards and comfortable seating is a significant motivation to try these out.  Even the exotic Moroccan fare sold in the centuries old Dhemaa el Fna outdoor market has become the best selling offerings of Middle Eastern restaurants all over the world.