Curated lists

Snacks and street food

The 24 best-known snacks and street food from around the world, each with a short background and where it comes from.

01
Papad
India
A papadam is a snack that originated in the Indian subcontinent. Dough of black gram bean flour is either deep-fried or cooked with dry heat (flipped over an open flame) until crunchy.
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02
Tapas
Spain
Tapas are appetisers or snacks in Spanish cuisine. They can be combined to make a full meal and are served cold (such as mixed olives and cheese) or hot.
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03
Takoyaki
Japan
Takoyaki (Japanese: たこ焼き or 蛸焼) is a ball-shaped Japanese snack made of a wheat flour–based batter and cooked in a special molded pan.
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04
Lángos
Hungary
Lángos is a Hungarian flatbread. The dish was historically made of the last bits of the bread dough and baked at the front of a brick or clay oven, to be served hot as the breakfast of the bread-baking day.
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05
Panipuri
India
Panipuri (also known by other names, including phuchka and golgappa) is a snack associated with the cuisines of the Indian subcontinent consisting of a deep-fried spherical puri shell, hollowed out for a filling and dipped in flavoured waters.
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06
Vada
India
Vada is a category of savoury fried snacks native to India. Vadas can be described variously as fritters, cutlets, or dumplings. Vadas are sometimes stuffed with vegetables and traditionally served with chutneys and sambar.
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07
Crouton
Italy
A crouton is a piece of toasted or fried bread, normally cubed and seasoned. Croutons are used to add texture and flavor to salads—notably the Caesar salad—as an accompaniment to soups and stews, or eaten as a snack food.
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08
Canapé
France
A canapé (French: [kanape]) is a type of starter, a small, prepared, and often decorative food, consisting of a small piece of bread (sometimes toasted) or cracker, wrapped or topped with some savoury food, held in the fingers and often eaten in one bite.
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09
Stinky tofu
People's Republic of China Taiwan
Stinky tofu is a traditional Chinese delicacy made from fermented tofu, renowned for its distinctive and pungent aroma. Despite its strong odor, it typically has a surprisingly mild and savoury flavour.
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10
Pincho
Spain
A pincho, pintxo or pinchu is a small snack, typically eaten in bars or taverns. They are traditional in northern Spain and especially popular in the Basque country, Navarre, La Rioja, Cantabria, and Asturias.
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11
Mitraillette
Belgium
A mitraillette is a type of sandwich in Belgium commonly served at friteries and cafés. It is popular among students.
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12
Twinkie
United States
The Twinkie is an American, soft snack cake, described on its packaging as "golden sponge cake with a creamy filling". Introduced in 1930, it was previously made and distributed by Hostess Brands.
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13
Medu vada
India
Medu vada is a South Indian breakfast snack made from Vigna mungo (black lentil). It is usually made in a doughnut shape, with a crispy exterior and soft interior. A popular food item in South Indian cuisine it is generally eaten as a breakfast or a snack.
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14
Shiokara
Japan
Shiokara (塩辛) lit. 'salty-spicy', is a food in Japanese cuisine made from various marine animals that consists of small pieces of meat in a brown viscous paste of the animal's heavily salted, fermented viscera.
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15
Roujiamo
People's Republic of China
Roujiamo or rougamo, also known as the Chinese hamburger, is a sandwich consisting of a sliced crispy-baked flatbread stuffed with meat and vegetables, originating from the Chinese province of Shaanxi.
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16
Hotteok
South Korea
Hotteok, sometimes called hoeddeok, is a type of filled pancake known as a popular street food in South Korea. It originated in Qing dynasty China and was first brought into Joseon Korea during the 19th century.
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17
Tea egg
People's Republic of China
Tea egg is a Chinese savory food commonly sold as a snack, in which a boiled egg is cracked slightly and then boiled again in tea, and sauce or spices.
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18
Knish
Belarus Ukraine
A knish or knysh is a traditional food of Eastern European origin, characteristic of Ukrainian and Ashkenazi Jewish cuisine. It typically consists of a filling covered with dough that is baked or sometimes deep-fried.
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19
Onde-onde
Indonesia
Klepon, also known as Onde-onde or Buah Melaka, is a traditional Southeast Asian confection made from glutinous rice flour filled with palm sugar and coated in grated coconut.
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20
Roasted sweet potatoes
People's Republic of China
Roasted sweet potato is a popular winter street food in East Asia and parts of Southeast Asia.
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21
Alu chat
India
Alu chat (also spelled alu chaat, aloo chat, or aloo chaat) is a street food originating from the Indian subcontinent. It is popular in North India, West Bengal in Eastern India, Pakistan, and also in parts of Sylhet Division of Bangladesh.
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22
Egg waffle
Hong Kong
An egg waffle (雞蛋仔) is a spherical egg-based waffle popular in Hong Kong and Macau, consisting of an eggy leavened batter cooked between two plates of semi-spherical cells.
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23
Suya
Nigeria
Suya, also known as Tsire, is a traditional Hausa (Nigerian) smoke-grilled spiced meat on skewer. Suya is generally made with thin-sliced spiced beef, lamb, goat, ram, or chicken arranged on wooden skewers.
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24
Bamba
Israel
Bamba is an Israeli snack made of peanut-butter-flavored puffed maize manufactured by the Osem corporation in Kiryat Gat, Israel. Bamba is one of the leading snack foods produced and sold in Israel. It was launched in 1964.
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Description: Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Photo: Wikimedia Commons