Enjoying Street Food While Traveling
Some of the best food I’ve ever eaten (and I do like to eat!) has been from street stalls and vendors while traveling through Europe. Sound dangerous? Not really, but if you’re squeamish or have gastric problems, read no further. However, if you want to savor the flavor of the country in which you’re traveling, make your way to that interesting looking food stall or street vendor. Don’t be shy! You’ll be well rewarded. So where are the tastiest treats I have come across during my travels?
Two of the most memorable taste experiences I have had abroad were of street food. The first was many years ago in Paris at a rather small street stand on a side street, very near the center of this fabulous Grande Dame of a city. “Mamie’s Crepes” was the modest sign and I watched as Mamie (was that really her name?) ladled a rich batter onto a hot, greased, round heated stone. As she gently spread the batter around, it began to bubble and the edges turned crispy brown. Carefully she removed the thin, circular layer, adroitly spooned a goodly quantity of comfiture d’abricot (I found out that’s apricot jam), folded the masterpiece and wrapped it in waxed paper. I handed over a few coins and was rewarded with a creation of such flavor and delicacy that I remember it well, even many years later. Marveilleux!
The other outstanding street food treat was in Amsterdam: fresh herring. That’s right: fresh, raw herring; slightly salted and served with chopped onions on a small roll, sort of like a hot dog bun. Not only delicious but outrageously memorable! It’s a very popular snack in The Netherlands and you’ll find wagons and stalls throughout the city. May and June are the best time to enjoy this marvel, because that’s the major harvest time for these divine, though highly maligned, sea creatures. They are available throughout the year, but if you want REALLY fresh herring, that’s the time frame. While you’re there, be sure to try the Kroketten and French fries…crisply fried, well salted and heaped into paper cones, topped with a large dollop of rich mayonnaise…trust me, you’ll love ‘em (check your cholesterol level when you return home).
If you are on an Italy tour, try the pizza, gelato, cannolis, fried ravioli, rice balls (also known as arancini di riso,) and the amazing prosciutto, cheese and arugula sandwiches on fresh baked focaccia bread, topped with a hint of olive oil. Souvlaki, Gyros and Loukoumades in Greece, Bratwurst in Vienna, Fried Piroshki in St. Petersburg, Pastizzi in Malta, tapas and churros in Spain, the list goes on and on. Enjoying street food will become part of your travel memories, and might even expand your food choices once you are back home.
