Street food, for which you should forget about the diet

So, you are on vacation abroad, wandering around the local market. Suddenly you are enveloped by an unusually alluring fragrance. You look around for the source and notice a long line of locals, who enviously follow the eyes of passers-by, chewing something very appetizing. You become curious and, without noticing it, you have already settled down at the end of the queue.

But then you remember that you have been on a diet for a long time and have vowed not to even look in the direction of food, especially any fast food. On the other hand, you think, this may be the only chance in life to try an unknown delicacy, and you send the diet to hell, convincing yourself that you are only getting acquainted with a part of the culture of the country and do not want to show disrespect.

So what kind of street food is worth forgetting about the diet? We tried to limit ourselves to 10 street food dishes, but could not resist, and as an exception, we expanded this list to 11 masterpieces of street food, famous all over the world.

1. Gorditas or Gordita-Mexico

Gorditas is a hand-crafted celestial symphony that celebrates the excellent Mexican taste. In some places, cooks simply bake a thick piece of masa (cornmeal dough) on a dry baking sheet until it begins to smoke; in others, they bake it on a baking sheet, then transfer it to boiling oil. 

The prepared masa is divided into parts and stuffed with a choice of pork slices, spicy chorizo or chili cheese. Then it is sprinkled with finely chopped lettuce leaves, onions and poured with hot sauce. The result is an edible work of art.

2. Gelato-Italy

At its core, gelato is a frozen egg cream with the addition of a variety of ingredients – from amaretto to yolks. Traditionally, Italian gelato does not contain cream – it is made from milk, eggs, or corn starch. The difference between this ice cream is its low fat content. 

You only have to lick the ice cream once, and you will fall in love with it for life. Its taste will cause a thrill of excitement in you, and it will seem to you that countless fireworks explode around you. That's what bliss should taste like.

3. Putin – Quebec, Canada

Putin is a pile of French fries (or chips), deep-fried, drizzled with salty brown sauce and sprinkled with fresh cheese. As a rule, the basis of the sauce is chicken broth, but there is a broth of veal, beef, and sometimes a vegetarian version comes across. The cheese is so fresh that it crunches on your teeth after every bite. The name of the dish itself means "mess". However, this is the most delicious "mess" you've ever tasted.

4. Murtabak – Singapore, Malaysia

Murtabak is a pancake with a filling that looks like corrugated paper, wrapped and cut into squares. In Indonesia, for example, they prepare martabak manis-the dough is thicker, and it looks like a waffle. 

Murtabak is used as a snack. This dish, prepared on the Malacca Peninsula, has absorbed all the flavor of the local cuisine. A favorite filling of Singaporeans is egg and green onions, and Malaysians eat murtabak with spicy curry.

5. Currywurst – Germany

When Berlin was in ruins in 1949, one enterprising housewife, Hertha Hoiver, managed to get some curry from British soldiers. With this rare ingredient (all food was in short supply at the time), she made a tomato and curry sauce and spread it on the sausages. So Currywurst was born. Today, there are also many types of this sauce, as well as types of sausages in Germany. And of course this is the most suitable snack for beer.

6. Takoyaki – Japan

Takoyaki is a ball of crunchy, fluffy wheat dough, inside which is a sweet and soft piece of octopus. The whole mixture is poured into a specially made plate with shallow depressions, the size of a ping-pong ball, and sprinkled with green onions on top and cooked until golden brown. After that, the dish is sprinkled with aonori (green seaweed powder) and katsuobushi (dried tuna flakes), sprinkled with mayonnaise or takoyaki sauce, reminiscent of Worcestershire sauce. 

The crust is firm and chews for a long time, but inside there is a thick burning dough, and finally-a fat piece of octopus, which you savor with pleasure until you get to the next one.

7. Civito al Pan-Uruguay

This huge sandwich with a piece of meat is a modest, but peculiar national Uruguayan dish, as well as the cheapest and tastiest way to taste the famous Uruguayan beef. The dish contains a huge amount of cholesterol. Judge for yourself: two slices of bread, flavored with mayonnaise and stuffed with fried meat, ham, bacon, fried or boiled eggs, mozzarella cheese. In addition to this – lettuce, tomatoes, red pepper. Pickles, olives, mushrooms and the heart of a palm tree (the trunk of a coconut palm) are also sometimes added.

8. Kelevele-Ghana

Kelevele – a grand combination of flavors, reminiscent of a spicy variety of banana French fries, only tastier. Ripe bananas are cut into long strips, sprinkled with salt, rubbed with hot pepper, then deep-fried with vegetable oil or in a special charcoal oven. 

The dish is served on the newspaper as an evening treat. The banana in the pot is twisted, forming fat spirals. The crispy banana is spicy and sweet, and the aroma of ginger and banana merge together, while the hot chili pepper burns with every bite. The aftertaste of this delicacy combines sweetness and sharpness, but you are guaranteed to come back for more.

9. Lamb Shish Kebab – Northwest China

Imagine walking through the city streets of China, perhaps through one of the neighborhoods of Beijing or along the paths of Xi'an city. The smell of grilled meat and cumin wafts through the air. The Asian-looking boy blows up the coals and turns the skewers with meat, luring passers-by: "Lamb shish kebab! One yuan per serving!" Near the grill, a crowd forms and disassembles the shish kebab faster than the cook prepares it. Join us, order a dozen or so meats,and you'll have a snack for the evening.

10. Pastel de Belen-Portugal

Pastel de Belen is a small baked puff pastry cake, with a filling of sweet creamy custard sprinkled with cinnamon. The most delicious original Pastels are prepared in the restaurant Antiga Confeitaria de Belém, located in Lisbon. 

There are huge queues for ready-made food (about 19,000 pies are sold per day). Only three chefs know the recipe for this pie, and the preparation itself takes place behind closed doors. Breathe in the aroma of cinnamon, feel the crunch of puff pastry, feel all the tenderness of custard. You'll lick your fingers!

11. Pork-Jerky-Jamaica, Caribbean

As one of the best dishes in the Caribbean, jerky pork or cured pork is originally smoked on the wood and berries of the Pimento tree. This gives the dish a special taste and aroma. Pork is rubbed with hot chili, cloves, allspice and other spices and herbs that are available at hand. 

The meat turns out soft and secretes juice. First, it is cooked at a high temperature, then seasoned with chili and turn down the heat. Each bite is an unsurpassed combination of allspice, nutmeg and cinnamon, while the meat crust is sticky and baked. True pleasure!