Street Food around the World: An Encyclopedia of Food and Culture
Author(s): Bruce Kraig (Editor), Colleen Taylor Sen
Publisher: ABC-CLIO
Publication Date: September 9, 2013
Language: English
Print length: 536 pages
ISBN-10: 1598849549
ISBN-13: 9781598849547
Book Description
In this encyclopedia, two experienced world travelers and numerous contributors provide a fascinating worldwide survey of street foods and recipes to document the importance of casual cuisine to every culture, covering everything from dumplings to hot dogs and kebabs to tacos.
Street foods run deep throughout human history and show the movements of peoples and their foods across the globe. For example, mandoo, manti, momo, and baozi: all of these types of dumplings originated in Central Asia and spread across the Old World beginning in the 12th century. This encyclopedia surveys common street foods in about 100 countries and regions of the world, clearly depicting how “fast foods of the common people” fit into a country or a region’s environments, cultural history, and economy. The entries provide engaging information about specific foods as well as coverage of vendor and food stall culture and issues. An appendix of recipes allows for hands-on learning and provides opportunities for readers to taste international street foods at home.
The American experience of street food might be primarily limited to hot-dog vendors, although, recently, American street food has seen an upswing in terms of visibility with food trucks popping up across the country—and even the Food Network is hopping on the bandwagon with a reality competition show. Internationally, though, street food varies from country-to-country, a difference that this volume attempts to break down. The book is well-researched and thorough and contains a lot of informative material. Sections begin with an overview of the region and are then broken down into countries, with information on the socioeconomic makeup and how that might influence the food found in that particular country. With roughly 10 reviews per country, including desserts and drinks, readers will get a good idea of the flavor profile and what kinds of foods are expected in each region of the world. However, Street Food around the World would greatly benefit from the inclusion of color photographs, as the few black-and-white ones scattered throughout don’t do justice to the scenes or the food items. The descriptions of the food from various countries are detailed, but sometimes the writing feels as though something is lacking, doing little more than stating ingredients. Simply reading about a Chicago-style hot dog, for example, doesn’t do much to entice readers to hunt one out in the Windy City. Although the included recipes are a nice touch, they feel a bit out of place in a book that is meant to describe an experience in a country. (Sure, you could make mohinga—a spicy noodle soup from Myanmar—at home, but it might taste better eaten amid the hustle and bustle of its homeland’s busy thoroughfares.) Overall, this is a secondary purchase for most libraries. It’s a bit of a misfire because it doesn’t know what it wants to be—a travel guide or a cookbook—but it might inspire budding on-the-road foodies; for large collections. –Erin Linsenmeyer
Review
“Street Food around the World contains a wealth of inspiration for chefs wanting to incorporate these dishes into menus. It could also be useful for food entrepreneurs.” ―Reference Reviews
“This interesting reference title will whet readers’ appetite for these foods. Summing Up: Recommended. Academic and public libraries; lower- and upper-level undergraduates, graduate students, and general readers.” ―Choice
“A solid overview of street food worldwide for travelers and researchers.” ―Library Journal
“This book should be of interest to anyone traveling internationally or wanting to experience how the natives obtain a great portion of their food.” ―ARBA
About the Author
Bruce Kraig, PhD, is professor emeritus in history and humanities at Roosevelt University, USA and adjunct faculty at the Culinary School of Kendall College, USA.
Colleen Taylor Sen is the author/co-editor of seven books, including Food Culture in India; Curry: A Global History; Street Food Around the World; A Guide to Indian Restaurant Menus; and Feasts and Fasts: A History of Food in India.
COLLEEN TAYLOR SEN is a regular contributor of articles on food and travel to major newspapers and magazines. She specializes in ethnic and Asian cuisines, particularly India’s foodways.
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