Sharing history and traditions through street food

Serradura

Modern day street food has evolved into cheap, convenient and nutritious food. It also fits the taste of consumers who pursue a variety of flavors. Each street food has its own story, history and tradition.

Serrdura, made of vanilla cream and crushed biscuits, is a famous dessert in Macao. Interestingly, Serrdura is a dessert of Portuguese origin. Its recipe allows us to learn about the history of Macao, which was once dominated by Portugal.

In Singapore, the mixed culture of Japan, England and Malay has helped developed high quality street food. Even the official tourism bureau of Singapore has recognized it and puts efforts to improve the quality of street food. Banh Mi, a Vietnamese sandwich, is a type of street food created during the French colonial rule that combines French and Vietnamese ingredients.

Pho from Vietnam, Kaya toast from Singapore and Taho from the Philippines represent each country respectively. Apart from these foods, there are fruits and dairy products that can cool down your heart. In terms of skewered food, which is common among Asian countries, it differs according to the region.

Of course, Korean street food also enjoys popularity among foreigners. Topokki is an especially favored food, as it goes well with fish cake. Soondae, a Korean sausage stuffed with cellophane noodles, and deep-fried seaweed rolls have also gained popularity due to their chewy textures.

Street food with a simple recipe and good ingredients should be pursued since it effectively represents an image of a country and can be easily shared beyond the boundary of a country. Moreover, these foods can provide a chance to retrospect on the history of colonization and thereby understand each other. In such a sense, the Korean government should actively support the World Street Food Congress (WSFC). Chung Hyang-hee Hyatt Regency Jeju Asia Restraurant Chef | Summary by Lho Ji-young