When Is Street Food Not Street Food
@arthurchappell (45002)
Preston, England
April 12, 2016 7:52am CST
I love the explosion of street food vending in Manchester at present. We have always had hot dog and burger vans and ice cream sellers around but there is now a growing move to serving fusion style fast food of al nations, with German sausages and Indian curries among many delights on offer, though sometimes the meals can be pricy and in small portions.
I am also noticing however that many restaurants are opening claiming to offer street food, at tables, indoors with proper plates and cutlery – As delicious as it might be that I am sorry to say to them that that is not street food – that is indoor café and restaurant meal service and often at cafe restaurant prices. True street food is purchased freshly made in the street and ideally eaten in the street or on a nearby park bench.
Bon appetite.
Arthur Chappell
23 people like this
21 responses
@Morleyhunt (21737)
• Canada
12 Apr 16
We don't have street vendors in our community. There are the infamous "chip wagons" I don't frequent them, but we had friends who spent a full weekend trying every chip wagon in town to determine who made the best chips (French fries).
5 people like this
@arthurchappell (45002)
• Preston, England
12 Apr 16
@Morleyhunt I would certainly use the chip wagons though not for the entire weekend
3 people like this
@Mike197602 (15487)
• United Kingdom
12 Apr 16
I've done the same thing
I've eaten at every fish and chip/burger/kebab/pizza/hotdog van in the whole area so I know where to go for the best stuff
I've eaten at every fish and chip/burger/kebab/pizza/hotdog van in the whole area so I know where to go for the best stuff3 people like this
@arthurchappell (45002)
• Preston, England
12 Apr 16
@Mike197602 I have favourites for returning to but I like finding new ones too
2 people like this
@arthurchappell (45002)
• Preston, England
12 Apr 16
@Lucky15 I haven't tried quail's eggs yet - sound nice if rather decadent - I'd associate them with aristocratic ancestral home banquets
2 people like this
@arthurchappell (45002)
• Preston, England
12 Apr 16
@Lucky15 they do sound quite lovely
2 people like this
@Lucky15 (37346)
• Philippines
12 Apr 16
@arthurchappell those eggs are boiled then had the shells removed, put it in a batter then fried and put in a bamboo skewer with sauce
2 people like this
@Mike197602 (15487)
• United Kingdom
12 Apr 16
Anything served inside isn't street food
The most unusual van we have round here is one with a full size wood fired pizza oven in the back...the pizzas are very nice and good value.
The problem with some of these vans is they charge too much money.
The most unusual van we have round here is one with a full size wood fired pizza oven in the back...the pizzas are very nice and good value.
The problem with some of these vans is they charge too much money.2 people like this
@arthurchappell (45002)
• Preston, England
12 Apr 16
Same here @Mike197602 the portions are often very small for the price
1 person likes this
@arthurchappell (45002)
• Preston, England
12 Apr 16
@Fleura I live in North Manchester. The street food venders and venues are scattered over our city centre
1 person likes this
@JohnRoberts (109857)
• Los Angeles, California
12 Apr 16
That is also the trend here in the LA area. Rows of food trucks.
2 people like this
@teamfreak16 (43421)
• Denver, Colorado
12 Apr 16
There are a bunch of these in Downtown Colorado Springs, but I can't remember what they are calling them.
2 people like this
@irishidid (8688)
• United States
12 Apr 16
Where I live you don't see that. No vendors at all except at sports arenas. Well there is the obnoxious and bad tasting ice cream truck that drives around the neighborhoods but I don't think that's the same thing.
2 people like this
@arthurchappell (45002)
• Preston, England
13 Apr 16
@Drosophila street hot dogs taste great
1 person likes this
@Drosophila (16573)
• Ireland
13 Apr 16
@arthurchappell another thing that seemed to take over is the "pulled pork".
1 person likes this
@arthurchappell (45002)
• Preston, England
13 Apr 16
@Drosophila never understood what pulled pork means - it's just pork that has been shredded as I see it - pulled by what? Chef's fingers? a tractor? A tug of war team?
1 person likes this
@Jessicalynnt (50525)
• Centralia, Missouri
12 Apr 16
lol, that's funny, trying to hop on the street food scene but just offering outside service. It's rather like fast food, limited menu, ready fast, while being often much higher quality and better tasting
2 people like this
@crazyhorseladycx (39515)
• United States
12 Apr 16
no such monkey's 'round these parts that i'm aware'f. prolly coz folks prefer not to've extra 'grit' (aka: blowin' dirt) 'n their food. i agree though, if'n 'tis served'n a restaurant/'r cafe, it aint street food.
1 person likes this
@arthurchappell (45002)
• Preston, England
12 Apr 16
@crazyhorseladycx another misleading one in some cafes is 'home made food' meaning that it tastes like home cooking but suggests the chef goes to his house to make the meals there and then brings them back
1 person likes this
@arthurchappell (45002)
• Preston, England
12 Apr 16
@crazyhorseladycx some pubs do just serve canned heated up goods
1 person likes this
@crazyhorseladycx (39515)
• United States
12 Apr 16
@arthurchappell ugh, i so get tired'f those kinda places. 'course these days 'home made' don't seem to mean a whole lot, eh? seems most folks't home open cans/boxes to prepare their meals - so i reckon they figure nobody'll notice.
1 person likes this
@PainsOnSlate (21854)
• Canada
12 Apr 16
Sadly I live in a very small town, we don't have street food unless a festival is going on. I agree, street food inside is not street food!
2 people like this
@cacay1 (83223)
• Cagayan De Oro, Philippines
12 Apr 16
Hehehe wrong grammar lol, they should know the difference between street foods and indoor foods.There are many street foods here, and yes freshly cooked, but only few eat, of course, dust is part of their street foods that is why called street hehehe.
2 people like this
@changjiangzhibin89 (16534)
• China
13 Apr 16
I guess your street food is similar to our sidewalk snack booth features local flavour snacks and being freshly prepared.Sometimes I eat there too ,It is a wonderful feeling to sit there ,drinking in the atmosphere .
1 person likes this
@AbbyGreenhill (45496)
• United States
12 Apr 16
I would be there are street food venting in the bigger cities, not such an animal anywhere around where I live.
1 person likes this
@Inlemay (17714)
• South Africa
13 Apr 16
we dont have any street vendors in our city but I know there are in the larger cities - I would not eat from them at all, let me rephrase that, I will be very choosy what I eat from them - I have such allergies and honestly, i would fear the germs involved. However saying all that, I have eaten Belgium waffles on the street as well as French Fries, and taco once. All of them extremely messy, but most enjoyable
1 person likes this
@Angel_15 (670)
• Manila, Philippines
13 Apr 16
We have different street food here. We have barbecue, taho (drink-like snack made of tofu with sweetener and pearls, scramble (a kind of shake with powdered milk on top), fish balls, squid balls, isaw (intestines), sorbetes (Filipino-style ice cream), and a whole lot more.
1 person likes this
@JonnyRich (157)
• Blackburn, England
13 Apr 16
I've lived in Manchester for a few years (Oldham) and used to travel to Manchester on a daily basis. I used to love that hotdog stand near the Barclays bank.... They have different days on the market stretch were they sell various foreign foods which I've dabbled in but not very much... And as for you saying street food isn't street food if it isn't served outside/from and food van or eaten on the street then I agree 100%
