Street food has been on the rise over the last decade in the UK. Whilst many parts of the world have strong, established street food cultures, we’re only just starting to open our eyes to the possibilities offered by eating outside of homes and restaurants. It wasn’t long ago that ‘street food’ conjured up memories of questionable hotdog vans in lay-bys – thankfully those days are a thing of the past now, and some of the best food in the UK starts off life on the streets. Street food markets are popping up all over the country, incubating hundreds of promising new food businesses, each with exciting new ideas to bring to the (picnic) table.
Explore food markets around the world and you’ll find that street food is the foundation for many of the world’s strongest food cultures. From the tacos and tamales of Mexico City, to the noodles of Malaysia, tender yakitori skewers in Japan and earthy suya in West Africa, street food is no mere novelty – this is how people eat every single day.
That culinary identity is something we’ve never quite had in the UK, but we’re experts at stirring the melting pot and combining different flavours from all over the globe to create something new, fresh and exciting. Fair enough, they don’t always work – anyone who has suffered through a chicken tikka pizza can testify to that – but there’s a whole world of delicious possibilities out there, just waiting to be discovered. Think steamed Chinese buns stuffed with hot cajun chicken, Indian kebab wraps, juicy strands of Middle Eastern lamb stuffed into tacos, and any number of world-inspired burger combinations. Read on for a few delicious street food fusion recipes, and get creative with your own!
