The world is a much enjoyable place because of street food. Street food is fun, cheap, and ready to go at any time. Just when you get nabbed with hunger on a busy day, or when you don’t have the time to sit and wait around for food from a restaurant, your only hope would definitely be street food. Street food is a special kind of food that you will find on almost all the major streets of major cities in the world.

NYC enjoys a lot of street food and this is not without credit to different cities of the world. Although some cities like Cape Town in South Africa can offer an assortment of street food as well. Most of the time, you would rather spend your time inside one of the Cape Town Villas and enjoy the serenity. Although make sure to experience the street food festivals if you’re in town. It’s very diverse and you can get a taste of flavors from around the world.

Getting back to New York City, known to be one of the busiest cities in the United States, it is quite known for its diverse street food vendors all over the city. You can try authentic dishes from various cuisines without having to wait in line for a table, then wait again for a menu, just to wait again to be served. These things just don’t fit a New Yorker lifestyle. Undeniably, NYC picked up a few things that made a huge influence on their street food. While it is impossible to know the origin of every street food and the places where they were first made, we can narrow down on some of these places where cooks have traveled to or came from that inspired the food that is now sold in the streets of NYC.

China

Shanghai, China is one of the culturally-rich places in the world, one that has been emulated by other parts of the world. Everyone knows China for teas, but most people don’t know they have plenty of street food, some of which has found its way into the streets of NYC. There are several halls in NYC that sell Shanghai-inspired street food. One of them is the DeKalb Market Hall that boasts of thousands of people coming in every day to buy the famous mile-high pastrami sandwiches, chili flakes, the Zhacai which is made from the pickled mustard root, eggs, scallion, crispy cracker, and cilantro.

Japan

The Japanese Takoyaki is a very popular Japanese-inspired street food you can find on the streets of NYC. It is a traditional food that has its origin in the Kansai area of Japan. The Takoyaki are simply breaded octopus balls and fried in a special pan known as the Takoyaki pan. These are usually served with toppings of Konomi sauce, Japanese mayo and Bonito flakes. Though traditionally eaten with chopsticks, some vendors offer little skewers instead as it is more convenient for people on the go. Japan has a rich culture and the list of its street food that has crept into NYC streets are endless.

Taiwan

Taiwan is another place in the world whose street food inspires NYC’s. If you have tasted the steamed pork roll, or GuaBao as it is popularly known by the people of Taiwan, you will attest to how heavenly it tastes. It quickly fills you and satisfies your hunger. This fantastic street food originates in Taiwan and it is made from pork belly and a mix of mustard greens that has been crushed with peanuts and cilantro in a steamed bun.

Mexico

Tacos! Need I say more? Almost everywhere you go you can see authentic Mexican restaurants, but you can almost always see a taco truck in the streets of NYC. This is one of the favorites among New Yorkers, as the combinations are endless. Also, as one of the foods that you can easily eat while walking in a busy street, tacos are just too perfect for the city that never sleeps.

France

France is probably one of the places in the world where the whole world has learned from when it comes to food. France has got it all; it’s like all the best chefs in the world were born in France. If you have ever been to France, you wouldn’t walk 50 meters without seeing a crepe store or stand. In New York, people enjoy these almost everywhere and can be seen at all spots with great foot traffic. New Yorkers even created their own interpretations, making one store unique from the other.

There are many places in the world that have inspired NYC street food. It will really be hard to name them all, but you cannot argue that NYC streets have become more enjoyable because of the experience these foods offer. With a city that keeps you busy, you should not forget that you always deserve something tasty.

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