The world eats on its feet. The history of the stalls, carts and hawker centers behind street food from Mexico City to Singapore.
6 stories · All stories
Brazil's teardrop chicken fritter is said to have been invented for a picky prince. The story rests on one book, and the written record points somewhere humbler: the streets of industrial Sao Paulo.
The oldest dumplings ever found came out of a dry tomb in Turpan, dated to about 499 to 640 AD. From there the trail runs to Turkic manti, Italian ravioli, Polish pierogi and Siberian pelmeni.
Frankfurt and Vienna both claim the sausage, and Coney Island, St. Louis and a ballpark all claim the bun. Here is what the record actually shows.
From Peranakan kitchens and Phibun's noodle carts to pho stands and Singapore's hawker centres, the region's street food was layered by migration and state decisions.
The tortilla is ancient, but the taco is younger than its legend. Where the word came from, who first printed it, and how Glen Bell's crunchy shell reached 1962 Downey.
Ottoman street food in Istanbul meant liver kebab, tripe soup, simit and boza, all tracked in price lists and court registers. Here is what the records and one famous traveler say.
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