Curbside dishes - A global tour
Take a gastronomic tour around the globe through this blog, which explores curbside dishes that have become iconic around the world. From the renowned Spanish churros to the increasingly popular Chinese bao buns, this culinary journey is sure to leave you hungry.
Whether you find yourself traversing
the streets of a new city or simply seeking to expand your palate, we
have some delectable dishes for you.
CHURROS IN SPAIN
Arguably one of Spain's most famous street
foods, churros start their life off as a simple, savoury dough like any other.
They originate from a humble combination of flour, water, and a pinch of salt,
transformed into savoury tubes and crisped
to a golden brown perfection. In many cities throughout Spain and Portugal, the
traditional churro comes in a star shape and is usually served with a chocolate
sauce or cinnamon sauce (Pope D, 2019).
Churros are shrouded in controversy, with claims linking them to Spain, Portugal, or even China. However, one fact remains undeniable: in the 16th century, Spanish explorers introduced churros to the New World (Randolph M ,2020).
Churros
became local favourites quickly, which is why many countries claim this street
food as their own. The portable nature of churros makes them convenient for
on-the-go snacking, contributing to their popularity as a street food in the
UK. The popularity of churros in the UK
has also been greatly influenced by social media. Several platforms, including
Pinterest and Instagram, have contributed to popularizing food trends. The
visually appealing nature of churros, makes them highly shareable on social
media. This exposure has lead to increased curiosity and interest in trying
churros.
BAO (OR BAOZI) BUNS IN CHINA
Bao buns,
also known as baozi, are a steamed bread delicacy enveloping a variety of
fillings. Distinguished into open and closed styles, closed baos are entirely
wrapped in dough before steaming, while open baos remain open (Itsu, 2023). The fillings can vary hugely from different meats to sweet fillings
such as custard.
Served
across Asia for centuries, from street food trucks to Michelin-starred
establishments, bao buns owe their invention to Chinese military strategist
Zhuge Liang. Mantou was their original name, but over time they became known as
baozi or bao, meaning to wrap in
Mandarin(
Itsu , 2023).You can find both styles of bao in restaurants and
supermarkets here in the UK. There are also many street food markets and festivals where you
can buy bao buns, contributing to the
diverse culinary scene emerging across the country. Due to their immense popularity, major
supermarkets now produce different versions of these buns to suit different
holidays and dietary preferences. Tesco, for instance, now offers both meat and
plant-based option and created steamed duck and orange buns for the festive
season (Wright C,2023). Whilst M&S has taken a creative approach for
festive periods, creating Snowmen Steamed Bao Buns. Combining vegetables with a
flavourful hoisin sauce to offer a unique twist that brings the essence of
Asian cuisine to the festive season (North A, 2023).
PAV BHAJI IN INDIA
Known as the king of street food, pav bhaji is a world-famous fast food from
Maharashtra. A harmonious blend of vegetables and
unique spices is served with soft bread, garnished with chopped onions and a
hint of lemon juice (Hebbars Kitchen, 2023). Widely sold by street food vendors
across India, from food trucks to bicycle carts, pav bhaji has earned its
reputation as the country's most famous street food. : For many, Pav Bhaji
carries nostalgic memories of childhood and represents a taste of Mumbai’s
lively streets (The Comida, 2023).
Originally conceived as a quick and
affordable lunch for textile mill workers in Mumbai, pav bhaji has transformed
into a beloved late-night street food, seamlessly integrating into Indian fast
food culture. It soaks up the rich flavours of butter and spicy curry,
embodying the culinary preferences Indians adore (PAV BHAJI HUT, 2023).
The dish has gained international
popularity, appearing in restaurants and food festivals all over the world, and
even appearing in Bollywood movies, establishing its place as a cultural
touchstone (The Comida, 2023). Pav bhaji has grown in popularity in the UK as a
result of the growth of Indian food and street food culture. This is mostly
because street food scenes and local markets feature traditional dishes which
are brought to the UK by immigrant groups, who carry their culinary traditions
with them. Pav bhaji is also a vegetarian meal and is therefore in line with
the expanding plant-based diet movement. As more people adopt vegetarian and
vegan diets, foods with lots of taste, like pav bhaji, are becoming increasingly
popular.
SIOMAY IN INDONESIA
Also known as shumai or shao mai, siomay is a dish made of
steamed cone-shaped fish dumplings, eggs, potatoes, cabbage, tofu, and bitter
melon.
While siomay has been
around for a
very long time, its exact origins and creator remain unknown.
(Tasteatlas, 2023)
Although it’s a famous Indonesian meal, siomay is actually a
variation of the Chinese dish shumai (Mackinnon, J , 2018). While siomay hasn't yet made a big impact on
the UK street food culture, as more people become open to trying exotic dishes,
siomay with its unique taste and presentation has the potential to catch on. Other
countries have their own takes on siomay, which is frequently served at
international food markets and festivals. Many nations have produced variations
of the meal; for example, Thailand has recreated the dish using prawns and
bamboo shoots while in Japan, you can try another variation named shaomai,
and in both the Philippines and Vietnam you can eat other variations all with
different fillings and cooking methods (Mackinnon J, 2018).
(Tasteatlas,
2023)
THE END OF OUR JOURNEY
Annalise Docksey
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