Asian Street Flavors
Street food are succulent windows to a country’s culture; a taste of national history. It does not only provide a quick snack for people on the rush, but can also be viewed as the heart and soul of a place. One who skips what’s being served on the streets can be missing out on discovering new and exotic flavors.
While the halo-halo (mixture of different sweet ingredients), kwek-kwek (quail egg smothered in an orange batter), isaw (chicken intestines), and the variety of kakanin (sticky rice cakes) seem all too familiar to the Filipino palate, the whiff of other street flavors fills the air, all over Asia.
Bakso in Indonesia. Bakso or baso is a savory soup of Indonesian meatballs, or meat paste made from beef surimi.
Its texture is similar to the Chinese beef ball, fish ball or pork ball. Bakso is often garnished with bok choy, wontons, tofu, crisp fried shallots and hard-boiled egg, and is Indonesia’s national street food – a go-to dish sold from students to midnight revelers and anyone who wish to have a satisfying snack any time of day.
Frog Porridge in Singapore. Succulent, sweet, and incredibly delicate; frog porridge is an well-known snack on historic Geylang Road. Rumors about frog meat tasting like chicken may be exaggerated, but it does have some similarities, according to Joe Lloyd at www.theculturetrip.com. The name may sound a little off – but it is said to be the cleanest dish one may have while on the streets of Singapore. The frog meat is marinated in soy, spring onions and wine, with spicy chili and milder ginger variations. The porridge is said to be gloppy yet light.
Gua Bao in Taiwan. This Taiwanese ‘hamburger’ is made using a steamed bun, which gives a chewy and soft texture, in addition to pork, pickled greens, coriander and ground peanuts. The steamed bun’s sweetness is complemented by sweet ground peanuts, with which both flavors enhance the rich, fatty pork. This street dish is very popular in Taiwan and beyond its borders.
Mont lin ma yar in Burma. Dubbed as the “couple’s snack,” this succulent dish is made of two sides merged into a round bite-sized ball of quail eggs, chickpeas and some hint of pepper. There are also variations of toppings like tomatoes, chickpeas or it can also go plain – all of which are equally delightful to chew on.
Pani puri in India. A delicious snack food hailing from the Magadha region in India, it is also popular in Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh, writes Melissa Pearce at theculturetrip.com. A Pani Puri consists of hallowed puri (an unleavened, deep fried Indian bread) filled with potatoes, chickpeas, coriander, chili and chutney. Pani (flavored water) is then added, giving the filled ball a burst of succulent savory flavor when eaten.
Singara in Bangladesh. A spiced mixture of potato and vegetable pockets wrapped in thin dough and fried, it’s ubiquitous and inexpensive. Singara is a stuffed pastry, in the shape of a triangular ball. A good singara has flaky texture, as if it is made with savory pie crust.
Xiao long bao in China. It is a steamed bun (baozi) variously referred to as soup dumplings or juicy steamed buns on American- Chinese menus. It comes from the Jiangnan region, especially associated with Shanghai and Wuxi, and it is traditionally prepared in Xiao long, a small bamboo steaming baskets; thus, its name.