Roti canai, the street food that all Malaysians eat, has been recognised as the world’s second best street food.
This is according to TasteAtlas, which released the rankings of the Top 50 “Best Street Foods in the World”.
Introduced around the 19th century, roti canai has become a popular breakfast and snack dish among Malaysians. It is made from dough which is usually composed of fat, flour and water; some recipes also include sweetened condensed milk. The dough is repeatedly kneaded, flattened, oiled, and folded before proofing, creating layers. The dough ball is then flattened, spread out until paper thin by “tossing” it on a flat surface. It is served together with a traditional curry.
Guotie from China came in first place. The pan-fried variety of the Chinese jiaozi dumpling, is a Northern Chinese dumpling typically filled with minced pork, Chinese cabbage, scallions, ginger, rice wine, and sesame seed oil.
Among the other street foods rated in the top 10 are:
Tacos: Tacos are the national dish of Mexico – thin, flat griddle-baked tortillas topped with numerous fillings, folded and eaten without any utensils. A taco is basically anything eaten on a soft tortilla, and there is an infinite variety of them.
Carnitas: Originating from the Mexican state of Michoacán, carnitas is a flavorful dish made from pork (usually front sections or pork shoulder) that is braised, roasted, or slow-cooked in its own fat for a long time until fully tender and succulent.
Karaage: Karaage can be used for frying various meats and fish, but it is most often associated with chicken, and involves a special variant called tatsutaage, where pieces of chicken are first marinated in a mixture of sake, soy sauce, and sugar which are then lightly covered with arrowroot starch and deep-fried.
Bánh mì: Bánh mì (pronounced ‘bun mee’) is a popular Vietnamese variety of sandwiches that share the same core ingredient – a baguette. The crusty bread, condiments, and meats are all a legacy of French and Chinese colonialism, while cilantro, chili, and pickles reflect the Vietnamese taste for fresh vegetables and bright flavors.
Pierogi: Pierogi can be sweet, savory, or spicy, and the most common fillings include cheese, onions, ground meat, mushrooms, potatoes, and sauerkraut. The sweet versions commonly include various berries, such as strawberries or blueberries.
Esquites: Esquites is the name for popular Mexican street food that is usually consumed as a snack on the go. It is made with mature corn kernels, epazote, and salt. Corn is either grilled and shaved, or cooked with epazote, and it is then typically served in small cups, topped with chili peppers, lime juice, or cotija cheese.
Cochinita pibil: Cochinita pibil is a Mexican pork dish originating from Yucatan. Pork is marinated in a combination of annatto paste, bitter orange juice, and garlic. It is slowly baked and then shredded and served on tortillas, tacos, or on its own with shallots, pickled onions, salsa, and various roasted vegetables.
Siomay: Siomay is an Indonesian dish consisting of steamed cone-shaped fish dumplings, eggs, potatoes, cabbage, tofu, and bitter melon. After they have been steamed, all ingredients are assembled on a plate, cut into bite-sized pieces, and generously drizzled with a spicy peanut sauce.
