Street Food is an ancient concept that has evolved into an iconic fashion statement. Its popularity has grown in recent years, thanks to its unique appeal to the eye and taste. Inequality of access to such food is often cited, along with safety and convenience concerns. But the broader culture of street food is also changing, and this is a cause for celebration. If you’ve ever wondered how street food came to be the way it is today, consider these four reasons.
Inequality in access to street food
The COVID-19 crisis has highlighted the problems posed to street vendors and other essential workers in the informal sector. Food inequity is a twinned problem with healthcare. Food insecurity results in inadequate access to nutritious food, a situation that can lead to chronic malnutrition. Many poor people are forced to buy processed food, stripped of nutrients. While there are many reasons for this inequality, there are also some specific examples.
In the global south, the presence of street vendors is a vital part of the urban infrastructure, and the disappearance of street vendors is a reversible trend. Nonetheless, street vendors remain important and are an essential part of Mexican cities. Tiana Bakic Hayden’s article explores the role of street food vendors in urban food security. She engages with scholarship focusing on South Asian and African cities, and argues that access to cheap food is essential to urban food security.
Safety concerns
In a recent study, consumers were more aware of food hazards associated with street food than those who did not, and those with higher education were less likely to eat it. These consumers also tended to choose supermarkets and regulated fast food outlets over unregulated ones. Surprisingly, consumers of lower literacy tended to be more concerned about food safety than those with higher education, a trend Liu et al. found in South Africa, Haiti, and China.
A common concern when eating street food is food contamination. Often, there is no record of what goes into street food, so this is a big concern. However, street food is an important part of many countries’ economies and lifestyles, and contributes to the lives of millions of people in low-income countries. This is an important issue for researchers and policymakers interested in food safety. Moreover, street food is more affordable and easier to find than traditional restaurants.
Convenience
The convenience of street food is undeniable. Many Asians purchase ready-to-eat meals and drinks on their way to and from work, or during lunch hours. Consumers of street food are typically from all classes, from rural construction workers to city businessmen. They tend to be affordable, healthy, and easy to find. And the variety is endless. In fact, some studies show that street food can satisfy the nutritional needs of people living in the poorest quarters of a city.
Many people are unable to prepare meals or find time to do so, and the result is that they skip breakfast. Many times, they rush to the office without a proper meal. An empty stomach can ruin the day, but street food vendors offer convenient, affordable and ready-to-eat options. They also often offer charging stations, which are a boon for hungry office workers. But these conveniences do come with a cost.
Culture of street food
The Culture of Street Food is a documentary film that captures the culture of hawker markets around the world. In the documentary, chef Anthony Bourdain explains how street food can revitalize spaces. He explains how hood politics has evolved as a result of street vendors. It is not a secret that street food has become a major social and political force in many cities. But the culture itself is largely unknown outside of its immediate surroundings.
This type of cuisine unites people from all walks of life. Whether they are traveling from one part of the world to another, street food brings people together. Street food is a universal language that unites people of different races, ethnicities, and cultures. Sharing a meal together builds relationships and teaches us that there is nothing wrong with different cultural backgrounds. In fact, street food can help us all get along and respect each other as individuals.