Chapter 7 – Audio Script

Hey, what’s that you’re eating?

This? It’s a burrito. I got it from the food truck downtown.

It looks delicious. Do you often order from food trucks?

Yes, often. It reminds me of when I was traveling and eating street food.

Street food? You mean, like hot dogs?

Yeah, hot dogs and beavertails are street food here, but in other countries there are so many different and delicious options for eating when you’re out.

Really? Like what?

Soup like Pho from Vietnam, savoury pancakes like Jeon in Korea, samosas in India, and wraps like this burrito in Latin America.

Wait…you’re saying that in other countries they have fast, convenient, delicious food that is also healthy?

That’s exactly what I’m saying.

Incredible.

Isn’t it? I watched a documentary on this topic the other day. They were saying the common characteristics of street food are that it is easy to eat, easy to prepare, made from ingredients that are easy to get, and easy to change.

Can you explain that more?

Sure. First, street food needs to be easy to eat. Think about it. A lot of street foods are hand-held, you know, you can eat them with your hands, like sandwiches, wraps, and skewers.

Skewers – oh, you mean meat on a stick.

That’s right.

But you mentioned soup before. You can’t hold that.

No, but all you need is a simple cardboard bowl. It’s still easy.

Good point. Ok, the second thing you said was easy to prepare. That makes sense. These foods are cooked on the street, so they can’t require complex kitchen equipment.

Exactly. Street food is often cooked over a fire, fried in oil, or made in a single pot. Street food vendors use cooking methods that don’t require a lot of equipment, and that are usually fast.

Got it. And the third characteristic was about ingredients?

Yes, the ingredients in street food are easy to get. In other words, they’re common,… and they’re usually inexpensive. Wheat, corn, chickpeas, and potatoes are common in a lot of different types of street food.

That’s why street food is so affordable!

You got it. But the fourth characteristic I thought was the most interesting. It’s that street food is easy to change. In other words, you can adapt it easily.

You mean like by using different sauces?

Different sauces, different toppings, or different fillings. Think about how different french fries taste with different toppings like ketchup, vinegar, or gravy and cheese. Or you know those flat crepe pancakes? They’re completely different if you add a sweet filling or a savoury filling.

I had never thought of that before. So let’s test out these 4 characteristics with your burrito. First, hand-held – check. You’re eating with your hands. Also, I see the wrap is made from wheat, or maybe corn, so it uses ingredients that are easy to get.

In addition, it’s easy to change. Mine is a bean burrito, but there were other options such as chicken and seafood. I also added sauce, cheese, and tomato.

But what about the second characteristic – is it easy to make?

Sure! The ingredients were prepared in advance. When I ordered, they just had to heat it and wrap it.

Cool. You know, I think I would add a fifth characteristic: easy to want more.

Yes, that’s a good one. I definitely want to eat more of this!