Street food is cheap, quick to prepare and of different varieties, but that is not the only benefit of having street food around or eating it. There are many small aspects of street food that can benefit in one way or another. Street food brings together people of different cultures and races, all immersed in the joy of a variety of rich culture of street food.
Following are the 20 benefits or advantages of eating street food
1. Street food is the food of the masses
2. Street food brings together different cultures and races
3. Street Food lets you taste authentic global cuisines
4. Street food consumption helps support local families & individuals
5. Street food binds local communities together
6. Street food provides many indirect job options
7. Street food drives tourism across the world
8. Street food is a boon for office goers, especially bachelors
9. Street food carts are boons for young lovers
10. Street food provides breakfast for many homes
11. Street food is a cheap and safe option for hitchhikers
12. Street food is a mental booster for many people
13. Street food is better than modern junk food
14. Street food hubs are happening venues of sorts
15. Street food is cheap food and pretty affordable
16. Street food has a variety to choose from
17. Street food hubs and corners are social network areas
18. Most street food carts and stalls sell good quality food
19. Street food carts are open to your inspection
20. Different seasons brings back the joy of different Street food
1. Street food is the food of the masses.
Let us accept it, street food is the food of the masses. The common man (and woman) could never survive if there were no street food. Everyone loves it and can relish it irrespective of their financial status. Rich or poor, people just can’t get enough of it. Every day hundreds of thousands of food lovers converge street food markets and hubs to enjoy their share heavenly food on earth, and that too at affordable prices.
Street food is the identity of the masses as they have grown up eating and have many cherished memories associated with it.
There is no reservation when it comes to eating street food and all you need to have a fair share of it is a little bit of money and the hunger to eat it.
2. Street food brings together different cultures and races
Street Food is one of the universal languages that brings together people of different cultures and races sharing and bonding over the richness of their food. It is through the mouth that the goodness of street food makes friends out of different cultures. The sharing of food that holds dear to people from different religions, caste and creeds further strengthens the bond between them as they begin to cherish their unity in diversity.
Street food opens up doors for people of all cultures and races to share and enjoy the goodness of food and in doing so, pass on the message that there is nothing wrong to be different because when it comes to something as basic as food, they are all the same.
Every culture cherishes it’s food and wants to share the joy it brings with everyone. At the same time, street food culture allows different culture to merge together into a unique assortment of food – one that captivates everyone!
The global street food culture passes the message that we are bound together by one of the best things in life – food!
3. Street Food lets you taste authentic global cuisines
Many street food vendors are cooks dishing out authentic delicacies from their regions and serve humble versions of authentic global cuisines that are sold exclusively at pricey restaurants and are otherwise unaffordable.
So, you get to taste many authentic cuisines at throwaway prices. Of course there will be a difference in the ingredients used and the richness of taste that you get in expensive restaurants, but you need to remember that authentic food is not like what you taste in expensive restaurants.
Over time, restaurants around the world have experimented with the cuisines adding or subtracting ingredients and coming up with unique rich flavours.
However authentic street food cuisines are food items in their original and raw forms and hence cannot taste like their modified versions. So don’t be disappointed if you don’t find the buttered versions. Enjoy the originality of the foods in the simplicity they were discovered in.
Street food is authentic in a lot of ways, one being the originality it is cooked with and the person cooking it without the thought of competing with others.
4. Street food consumption helps support local families & individuals
Many street food carts and stalls are run by local people who have no other form of employment or are not earning enough from their small jobs. There are many struggle stories in most such businesses.
By eating at a street food cart or stall, you not just satisfy your hunger and save money, but also help many families earn a living and make ends meet.
Street food is a two-way relationship where you benefit by getting cheap and good food on your plate and in return, help put food on the plates of many such people who run street food businesses.
So you see, eating at a street food cart is also some form of social work on a local level.
5. Street food binds local communities together
It is a fact that street food around the world has brought together local communities who share more than just common food but also their fears, joys, sadness, triumphs, concerns and much more.
In many places around the world, local communities and their daily lives have been affected positively by their street food cultures that bring together people in unison.
Eating together brings people close and allows them to strive for one another in every possible manner. Food induces a general feeling of belonging and oneness and that is what brings and binds communities.
The many community food events are proof that every community cherishes eating together as a family.
In other words, street food brings together strangers and makes them part of a bigger family!
6. Street food provides many indirect job opportunities
Street food across the world provides work options to may food bloggers, vloggers and photographers who earn a living out of it. There is a thriving community of such people who depend on street food for work.
You must have seen many street food videos yourself or read some articles in a food blog.
Street food bloggers and vloggers on the other hand bring in more business for global street food markets in the form of tourists who are inspired by their food articles and videos.
There are hundreds of thousands of food blogs and Youtube food channels that keep millions of food lovers around the world inspired and hungry.
7. Street food drives tourism across the world
Global tourism is driven by the street food culture to a huge extent and there is no denying it. There is an increasing number of global travellers who have been travelling only to be able to eat the variety of street food that they read about in their favourite food blogs or watch on their many popular Youtube food channels.
The fact is, that the global street food scenario has helped many countries draw in more and more tourists from around the world every year. People have been eating street food more than ever before.
Street food tourism is a major part of all global travel now and hence it has been supporting and boosting the economy of many small and big countries. As a matter of fact there are many countries and cities around the world that depend extensively on tourism – street food is a boon for all of them.
8. Street food is a boon for office goers, especially bachelors
Street food helps hundreds of thousands of office goers who would otherwise miss breakfast or even lunch owing to time issues or not having someone to cook for them.
Street food carts allow office goers to grab a quick bite in the morning or a wholesome plate of tasty and affordable lunch or dinner.
Many bachelors depend on street food besides tiffin services for not just breakfast but also lunch and dinner.
While tiffin service is a good option for getting home-cooked food it tends to clash with the schedules of office goers, especially bachelors, as corporate lives are unpredictable and many times people end up eating outside. As a result a lot of food delivered by tiffin goes to waste and so does the money spent on buying it.
Street food, on the other hand, provides office goers and bachelors the flexibility to eat as and when required and save money too.
9. Street food carts are boons for young lovers
Street food markets and hubs provide young lovers cheap and tasty food options to relish with their dates. There is no need to explain why young lovers or couples would depend on street food for anything from a small snack to lunch or dinner dates too.
The young crowd, especially those who are still in college or working as interns, have minimal to no income at all and there is little pocket money to support eating out at expensive restaurants or cafes. Street food markets and hubs allow such people to eat a variety of tasty food and that too at throwaway prices.
Many love stories have been born and grown at street food carts and continue to do so.
10. Street food provides breakfast to many homes
It would surprise you to know that many households depend on street food carts for their breakfast every day. There are many families in major cities who don’t find enough time to cook breakfast in the mornings for several reasons. It could be simply because of lack of time, rotating work shifts that end during the wee hours, lethargy or simply the urge to eat a variety of snacks in the morning.
It is just not possible for such people to prepare breakfast and hence street food stalls provide them with healthy, homely and cheaply priced food options.
From light breakfasts like idli, vada, poha and upama to some heavy and spicy food items like dosa chhole-bhature, vada-pav, samosa, gobi-manchurian etc. street food has everything to offer to the hungry.
It is a fact that a majority of the families with working individuals, depend on street food carts and stalls for their daily breakfasts.
11. Street food is a cheap and safe food option for hitchhikers
Hundreds of thousands of people hitchhike every day around the world and almost every one of them travels on a tight budget. And why not? Hitchhiking is all about travelling around and living on minimum expense and that includes eating cheap too while also ensuring that it is safe.
Street food provides a variety of cheap, safe and delicious food to hitchhikers and that is why they depend heavily on street food carts and stalls.
As you know that a majority of hitchhikers don’t travel to eat at expensive restaurants or hotels, irrespective of their financial standings. They want to eat local and authentic and what else than street food to fulfil their wish? Also, the availability of popular street food carts ensure that they are eating healthy food and will not fall sick while touring.
Also read: Pros and Cons of Street Food
12. Street food is a mental booster for many people
Street food affects people’s minds a whole lot of positive ways. The taste, smell and feeling of something particular or everything cooked on the street have been said to boost the morale of many who throng the streets daily, livening them up and even warding off depression.
Street food can fill you up with positive feelings and the assurance of a better time ahead. And it does not limit itself to those who eat it street food on a day to day basis but even those who simply walk by such food carts experiencing the goodness of street food from a distance.
For many living alone in major cities for work, away from their families, a whiff of something cooked on the streets that reminds them of the food cooked at home by their mothers, sisters of wives, can make them feel at home. Though the still miss being at home, the smell and taste of street food resembling some part of the food prepared at their homes can be very assuring at times.
Frankly, street food provides nothing less than a fair dose of aromatherapy, to promote health and well-being. Many people, including us, are firm believers that the smell of certain food can help improve the health of the body, mind, and spirit of people. Street food tends to latch itself to emotions and it is a known fact that emotions control the mental health of people and hence it controls the physical health too.
13. Street food is better than modern junk food
Many think that street food is junk food but it is not. As a matter of fact, fast food is the real junk food in every sense. You see, fast food has been proved to be more harmful than anything that gets cooked and sold on the streets.
Street food is food cooked on the streets in different authentic ways but fast food or junk food is food that has many processed food ingredients that cause long term health issues, it eaten daily.
It is not the case with street food and on the contrary it can be eaten regularly as it has all the goodness that healthy staple diets provide. Why? Well because it is homely food simply cooked or served on the streets for business.
Now many would debate but look at the growth in obesity and other ailments in people who eat fast food on a day to day in many developed countries.
To be frank, there is hardly any processed food ingredients in street food and hence it is better than junk food.
However, you should always consider the pros and cons of eating street food before eating out.
14. Street food hubs are happening venues of sorts
Most street food markets or hubs build a very vibrant atmosphere around them. There is an increased amount of liveliness and positive vibes at such places. Depending on the local demography, there could be music, people having fun and joking about things, street performers playing instruments, dancing, singing or doing acts they are good at, youngsters exuding their no-worries attitude, small children, especially toddlers making faces amused by all that is transpiring around them and a lot more.
Street food hubs are nothing less than entertaining hubs costing you nothing extra at all. So while you are eating different varieties of street food, you get to see people going about with their daily lives or discussing their problems and solutions. You get to partake in the triumphs of many, learn about different things that can add value to your lives or simply enjoy it all.
15. Street food is cheap food and pretty affordable
Street food is cheap and easily affordable and you must know it. Every article ever written about street food emphasises on the fact that it is cheap. Even we have said that a couple of times here and there.
The fact is, what makes street food more alluring is that it is cheap and can be afforded by just about everyone. You don’t need to be filthy rich to eat street food. As a matter of fact even those who are still searching for jobs, enjoy street food without any constraints.
But don’t let the cheap prices of street food fool you. The low prices don’t mean that the quality of food is always questionable. Yes, every now and then, there comes news about some street food vendor messing up the trust of his patrons owing to sheer neglect and unconcern. But trust us such incidents are not rare even in a grade restaurants. It’s just you don’t get to hear it more often.
Anyway, back to the point – street food allows you to eat good and tasty food without burning a hole in your pocket.
16. Street food has a variety to choose from
Street food has a lot of variety to choose from and you can be spoiled for choice. Walk around any street food market or hub and you will see mouth-watering dishes lined up for your perusal.
There is always a lot to choose from in street food owing to the fact that there are people from diverse cultures selling popular food from their regions. So you have different food items at your service.
There is so much street food in the world to eat that it would take years if you were to eat just one dish each day.
Also, for hoggish eaters, street food allows then to eat as many varieties of food as they can eat owing to their cheap prices. So they don’t have to think much about money while eating but rather their capacity to eat.
17. Street food hubs and corners are social network areas
Street food corners or hubs are good for socializing and networking with like-minded individuals as they all converge together for one common cause – food!
There is nothing more fruitful than having a satisfying meal while discussing things that matter to us or seem interesting. Corporate meetings over lunch and dinner are proof that food paves way for healthy and fruitful discussions.
Street food brings people of different mind sets and thinking and helps them with dissemination of knowledge and much more.
There is a growing network of food lovers across the world who converge at street food festivals where they not only enjoy or talk about food, but also discuss about how other major issues of the world can be solved.
18. Most street food carts and stalls sell good quality food
Street food carts are majorly run by owners who cook the food themselves. So is street food of good quality? Yes, it is. As a matter of fact street food is mostly good in quality as the owners aim to get loyal customers who last a long time.
So most of the times you get street food as good as home-cooked food. You get to eat food that reminds you of food cooked at home because it is being prepared by people like us in a manner we all tend to cook at home.
To be precise, most of the street food vendors cook the same food for both business and home. So they eat the same food that they sell at their food carts. That assures that the food is of good quality in every sense as they eat it themselves.
There can be exceptions at times where some irresponsible street food vendors cut corners to earn extra profits. However, they are easy to detect and should be avoided at all costs.
You can refer to this article to ensure that you are eating at the right street food cart or stall: Street food: 8 Things to take care of
19. Street food carts are open to your inspection
You can see what is being cooked and what ingredient is being used at a street food carts. It is a default state of street food markets as they have a small portable set-up which is open to your scrutiny. Besides, they have nothing to hide – they simply cook on the streets and re not afraid or even bothered about anyone replicating their recipes or way of cooking.
Street food carts allow you to see the quality of ingredients being used, the way food is being handled and the overall cleanliness of the place you are about to eat at.
It is a fact that inspecting the kitchen of a high class restaurant or even a regular one is not possible at all. If nothing else, they will deny permission citing security and security or health concerns in the kitchen. It has become impossible in the ongoing pandemic situation.
There is no such issue at street food markets – pandemic or not, you get to see the entire process in full view.
So, you see, street food markets enable you to decide whether or not to eat at a street food cart by taking into account all the facts that are right in front of you all the time.
20. Different seasons brings back the joy of different Street food
Every season brings back the joy of eating certain street food items. There are some foods that go well with rainy seasons, some that suit the winters and others that are meant to be eaten during the summers. So there is always a season of street food that thrills all street food lovers.
So you see, street food is not just cheap but healthy and with a lot of benefits we never think about. You could just be having a quick snack at a street food cart but while doing do, also help support a family, bond with the community or simply getting inspired.
Street food is what fuels the inspirations of many around the world every day!
For more food related articles click on LocalPress/Food
Last Updated on November 5, 2022 by lp@admin
