Food stalls in Mexico City have seriously upped
their game with frequent migration to the capital from around the
country meaning that a host of new and interesting stalls are
popping up. Sonora Street Food serves the best burritos; order
burro percherón for decadent fillings of grilled meat, avocado and
melted cheese, or head to Los Parados for the best meat tacos in
town. For plant-based fare, head to Siempre Vegano for instantly
Instagrammable vegan tacos in the Roma district
(no filter needed). At the weekend, make your way to Parque San
Alvaro in Claveria. Hailed as the perfect hangover cure, this stall
serves barbacoa – slow-cooked lamb with consomme and chickpeas,
stuffed into handmade tortillas.

Famous for its BBQ-fried chicken and fried meats, street food in
Seoul showcases a different side
to the city. While food carts and vendors are definitely not hard
to find, it’s knowing what to choose that’ll help you here. For
traditional dishes, hit Gwangjang Market to try as many as you can
muster. Start with bindaetteok, Gwangjang’s speciality. This
savoury mung-bean pancake has been a local favourite since the
market first opened in 1905. Follow with Gimbap for a Korean take
on sushi, or Hweori Gamja for skewered, spiralled potato twirls
covered in cheese. Those with a sweet tooth should head to the
Insadong neighbourhood in search of kkultarae, a picture-perfect
dessert made of threaded-sugar and oozing a sweet filling.

Home to vibrant festivals, colourful parades and raucous beach
parties, Rio certainly knows how to work up an appetite. It’s easy
to satisfy your cravings at any of the vendors lining Rio’s
streets. Tapioca is a rising favourite on the street-food scene,
particularly in the capital’s South Zone. The tapioca is fried with
coconut to make crispy pancakes, which are filled with a choice of
sweet or savoury options. For more carby goodness, try coxinha
(fried dough filled with shredded chicken and cheese) or pastel, a
similar fried pastry stuffed with delicious fillings of your
choosing.

Known for microbreweries and coffee houses, Portland‘s vendor scene
complements its hip reputation. Thanks to relatively low
regulation, an abundance of gourmet food trucks rival even the best
restaurants in this riverside city. Taking inspiration from all
over the globe, food courts and markets serve everything from
grilled cheese to bahn mi. Head downtown to Alder Street Food Cart
Pod for the largest selection of carts. Wear comfortable shoes and
loose-fitting trousers – you’ll be stall-hopping all day long.

While many opt for traditional currywurst, Berlin has much more to offer than its famous
sausage dish. Situated in a renovated train station bathroom
underneath the U-Bahn tracks, Bürgermeister is a popular
street-food spot. Come for delicious burgers, but be prepared for
long waiting times. If queueing isn’t for you, delve beyond the
meat stalls to find countless vegetarian Vietnamese and Turkish
vendors. On Hasenheide, Hamy Café has delicious meat-free options,
while Nachtigall on Ohlauer Strasse offers crispy falafel wraps and
creamy lentil curries.

Follow your nose through the labyrinthine streets of Istanbul as a myriad of smells
draws you round street corners and down alleyways. While Turkish
cuisine is known for sweeter items – Turkish delight and baklava,
to name a couple – Istanbul’s food markets flaunt the more savoury
options, jam-packed with spices and flavours. In the morning, try
simit or açma for soft, doughy bread perfect for on-the-go
snacking. Later, hop between stalls to taste-test your favourite
durum and kebabs. Alternatively, lahmacun is a “Turkish pizza”
comprised of a thin-dough base topped with minced meat, vegetables
and herbs.

Despite a recent crackdown on food stalls, Beijing street food
is still going strong. In the depths of Gulou Dongdajie, Beijing’s
oldest neighbourhood, food stalls and markets are interspersed with
well-preserved traditional hutongs. Order jianbing, a soft pancake
cooked on a grill, filled with spring onions, egg, soybeans and a
crispy wonton cracker covered in a sweet-and-spicy hoisin sauce.
Those looking for something more experimental should head to
Wangfujing to test their mettle against scorpions, spiders and
chicken foetuses.

Although restaurants in Bangkok serve tasty takes on
traditional Thai dishes, you won’t find a better pad thai or
chicken satay than on the city streets. Those sticking to what they
know, head straight to Thip Samai Pad Thai. Its namesake dish has
earned it a Bib Gourmand, and the daily queues outside speak for
themselves. Other classic dishes include hoy tod, a crispy omelette
filled with shellfish and topped with a chilli sauce, and mu daeng
for barbecued pork and sticky rice.

Hawaiian cuisine is a blend of its cultural heritage,
incorporating influences from Polynesia, Asia and the Americas. The
best way to try this unique fusion is through Honolulu’s food-truck
culture. Rent a car to explore the whole island of Oahu, as markets
and food stalls that pop up along roadsides are often the best
place to sample traditional dishes. Tuck into poke bowls, a local
staple long before they littered your Instagram feed, or loco moco,
burger patties served on a bed of rice, topped with gravy and a
fried egg.

Right on the Caribbean sea, this walled city is renowned as the most
beautiful in Colombia. Every plaza is
chock-a-block with food carts and the scent of freshly made arepa
(a savoury bread pocket filled with cheese) lingers in the air..
Plaza San Diego is a bustling square that’ll leave you spoilt for
choice. Try empanadas for fried pastries brimming with meat and
cheese and wash them down with freshly squeezed juice or heady
Colombian coffee.