Don’t be surprised, the best countries for street food are not Italy or France. This is a post for adventurous foodies who don’t like to waste their precious traveling time sitting in a fancy restaurant that looks just like the one in their hometown. The best countries for street food are not in Western Europe, the US, or Australia. The shortest explanation is that there is no street food in those countries.
Let’s begin with defining “Street Food.“
It is not necessarily sold on the street. It could be an indoor eatery, as long as it’s got simple dishes for locals. Those are traditional and exotic for Westerners. The key is that the produce for preparing is not processed. It doesn’t come from supermarket chains. Instead, they came from “grandma’s backyard”. They are not “certified organic”. Instead, they are natural!
10. Senegal
TDI: 1-2 What's this?
Beyond the cultural experience of eating from the same pot with strangers, this is also a true dining experience because fish stew in Senegal is super tasty! Not sure what herbs they use, but it’s very flavorful. No need to mention the fish is truly organic!
Other than the traditional food, there is a big trend in Senegal, especially in Dakar: Fast Food! I am not talking about McDonald’s, KFC, Burger King, etc It’s regular street vendors selling the local interpretation of fast food… Sandwich with eggs and potatoes, sandwich with lentil and pasta… by default it is a little bit heavy on starch, but it’s more economical that way. Is Dakar’s fast food better than the Western-style fast-food chains? Of course! Whatever they put in a bun isn’t gonna be GMO, and it won’t smell like medicine. However, the main reason I put Senegal on this list is described in the picture.
9. Mexico
TDI: 2-3 What's this?
There’s really no need to talk about the Mexican food. It is famous worldwide and has an enormous influence on US and Latin American food culture! As much as the country has developed over the decades, the culture of Street Food remains very prevalent. Keep in mind, Mex. food tastes better than in any other country worldwide.
Even when I was in a very touristy, westernized gringo town of Playa del Carmen, I just had to walk 4 blocks from the shore (5 minutes) to find a fun street market with $2 quesadillas! (By the way, I never stayed in Playa del Carmen; it was only a transit stop.
8. Kenya
TDI: 1-2 What's this?
Other than eating cheap and fatty cow meat on the dusty and noisy street corners, there’s plenty of variety. Meat or fish stew with polenta made from manioc rather than corn is an African classic, and in Kenya they certainly know how to make it tasty. There’s also plenty of Indian influence. Chapati (Indian pita bread) has become part of Kenyan culture, and it’s made deliciously. You can also find fried Indian-style snacks on the streets, such as samosas.
7. Cote Ivoire
TDI: 1 What's this?
Just like in Senegal, in Côte d’Ivoire, you can also enjoy the flavorful Fish stew over manioc polenta. There is Fast Food as well, but it is very different from Senegalese food. It’s more European-influenced. The vendors offer a variety of toppings, such as ham, cheese, tomatoes, eggs, avocado, and peppers, for patrons to choose from on baguette-style bread. Sounds very Westernized, except the ingredients are much more natural, of course.
Manioc is a staple crop across Africa. Mainly prepared as polenta or grilled. However, Côte d’Ivoire also has a very unique way of preparing it: acgeque. It’s boiled and diced manioc. Looks like quinoa and tastes delicious!
Also, Côte d’Ivoire offers what I like to call “Premium Street Food.” Let me explain… Instead of eating a fish stew for $2 that has been pre-cooked and has been sitting in the pot for a few hours, you can also find vendors who cook from scratch when you order. Price is a little higher… $5. You still eat on the street, but you pay a bit more for the quality: a large plate of freshly grilled chicken or fish with a side of roasted potatoes, salad, and vegetables. It’s indeed a high-quality restaurant-style meal!
6. Philippines
TDI: 1-2 What's this?
From the exotic food, other than the crocodile meat, I had a chance to enjoy raw worms. I know it sounds gross, but they were marinated, and that’s what makes the difference. Honestly, they tasted similar to oysters.
Other than the exotic food, locals make all kinds of stews: Beef, pork, chicken, shrimp, fish, accompanied by a variety of exotic herbs and vegetables. The unique thing is, vendors don’t sell them on the street. Instead, at the porches of their homes. Patrons can enjoy meals on their porches or inside their homes. That experience has changed my life, and I wrote about it in my story about the Philippines.
5. El Salvador
TDI: 2-3 What's this?
In Central America, you can find pretty much all the good stuff typically known as Mexican food for Westerners: Tacos, rice and beans, pork, thick-sliced white cheese, cabbage, avocado, pico de gallo, salsa, etc. But in El Salvador, on top of all that, you can also find Pupusa – a taco stuffed with cheese. It doesn’t sound revolutionary, but it actually is, for two simple reasons: First, it is incredibly delicious! Second, you can’t get Pupusa anywhere! Well, if you make an effort, you can find them in parts of Honduras and Nicaragua near the Salvadoran border.
4. Sao Tome and Principe
TDI: 2 What's this?
Not many people have heard of this paradise Island country, located on the African Atlantic coast. São Tomé is super rich with tropical rainforest. The main industry is agriculture. The result of those two facts is the abundance of fresh, high-quality produce. The most famous chef in the country is “Mother Nature.” They don’t really have authentic cuisine. Fish, egg, avocado, breadfruit, or tomato is so flavourful that additions like marinades, chutneys, and sauces would just ruin the meal. You can check out the photos of this green paradise in my post about São Tomé.
3. Madagascar
TDI: 1-2 What's this?
If I had to describe Malagasy cuisine in one word, it would be “various”… In so many ways. First, the variety of influences. Madagascar is inhabited by both Africans and Asians. Eventually, they became a French colony. So the culture and its cuisine are influenced by all three ethnicities.
The second is the variety of products offered by a single vendor, as shown in the picture above. In Madagascar, you won’t find a stand with two or three different things. Your head would start spinning from the selection!
The third would be the variety of ingredients the meal is made out of… Madagascar is famous for its unique flora and fauna, which cannot be found anywhere else. They’re also unique for food preparation. They use many exotic vegetables, herbs, and spices that we are not familiar with.
2. Peru
TDI: 2 What's this?
Everything I ate during my one-month stay in Peru was very delicious. Two things stand out: the Hamburger I had in Cusco, made from alpaca meat and cheese. You can read about it in my Story from my trip to Peru.
The second is ceviche! I had it in the other countries, but the Peruvian version, also the original one, with clam juice, camote potatoes, and white corn, is a game-changer! I don’t have a picture of it, but this link shows the closest match to the version I have enjoyed at the street markets in Lima and Cuzco.
1. India
TDI: 1-2 What's this?
Original, exotic, authentic, spiritual… Yes, spiritual! While traveling in India, I would sometimes get a snack on the street that looked very simple and cheap… Then I would taste it, and find out it’s actually an exotic delicacy! Even when I had free food at a temple (yes, free food for everyone), it was still tasty.
Very soon, I came to the conclusion that there are no bad meals in this country. If it’s a meal, it will be done right and be tasty, no matter how cheap the ingredients are or how poor the environment is. Some people say that in India, no matter how poor you are, you eat like a king. There is a spiritual background behind it. In Hinduism, eating is a sacred ritual, and cooking is a religious ceremony. In many households, the kitchen is considered to be a temple. When locals cook, they do it with a positive spirit. I believe that is one of the secrets why, in India, such simple meals taste so good.
Second would be the spices. Any simple meal would contain many different herbs and spices. The key is not only the proportions and combinations, but also which spices need to be cooked longer and which need less time.
There is a huge difference between the north and the south of the country. The south is more vegetarian. As a matter of fact, there is a huge difference from state to state. Three of us carnivore travelers have explored 5 southern states in a month and enjoyed the food so much that we didn’t miss meat at all.
Famous Anthony Bourdain loved Indian food, as did Gordon Ramsey. In this BBC documentary, a food critic explained to Gordon, while eating in a fancy restaurant, that if he wants to eat well in India, he needs to eat on the street! And, she is a reputable critic who recommends fancy restaurants for a living.
There is a misunderstanding of Indian food being spicy. In my experience, the server would always ask, “Do you want it spicy?” My response would be “medium spicy”, which made my meals taste great.
Check out my Story from traveling in India, or photo galleries from Hampi and Tamil Nadu.