Here at Tinggly Towers, we think the best way to truly learn about a new place is through its food. That’s why you’ll find so many different types of foodie experiences in our collection, from guided market visits to chocolate tastings, cookery lessons with professional chefs to meals with local families – food is vital to understanding a culture.
This month we’re obsessing about street foods and thinking back on our own experiences with them, from grabbing a plate of spicy noodles at a Vietnamese night market stall, to chowing down on a gourmet burger from a van in San Francisco. Here’s a few classic street foods from around the world, as well as some more unusual dishes – which of them have you tried, and is there any you’d add to our list?
Pizza in Rome
Let’s start with the obvious – picking up a slice on the go when sightseeing. You can get a good bit of pizza all over the world of course, but in Rome, especially away from the more touristy areas, you can pick up a great slice of pizza. The only trouble is, it’s so delicious, convenient and inexpensive, that you can easily find yourself eating pizza for every meal – actually the more we think about it, that’s one of those ‘good problems’ isn’t it.
Bunny Chow in Durban
Have no fear, rabbit-lovers, there’s no bunny in bunny chow. This is the most popular type of fast food in Durban, South Africa, though its origins are Indian – a hollowed out chunk of bread filled with curry. The best thing about it is that when you come to eat the bread at the end, it’s drenched in curry-goodness.
Pulled Pork in Tennessee
You’ll find amazing barbecued food throughout the American South – Austin in Texas is known for it. Consequently in most cities you’re going to find either a van or a pop-up restaurant serving up the good stuff, and we think that in Tennessee they do it pretty much better than anywhere else. Here they smoke their pork in the traditional style, on grates over a charcoal fire, and the taste will stay with you all day long.
Dürüm in Istanbul
Perhaps because the city is such a melting pot of peoples and cultures, Istanbul street food is some of the most diverse and delicious in the world. We especially love dürüm, a mouthwatering flatbread wrap filled with spiced meat, fresh salad, yoghurt and hot sauce. It’s not dissimilar to the Rou Jia Mo you get throughout China.
Chicken piri piri in Lisbon
Portugal is renowned for its seafood, but when it comes to eating on the go, the locals will usually opt for chicken coated in hot piri piri sauce. You’ll often see chefs with several split chickens on one skewer cooking them over a fire pit, and if you do, make sure you stop because this is one of the most traditional and delicious meals you can get here. Follow it with a churro!
Takoyaki in Tokyo
This seriously tasty Japanese street food is a must in any market. Bite-sized balls of dough are filled with minced octopus, pickled ginger and green onion, then grilled on a skewer and topped with fresh seaweed. Yum!
Crêpes in Paris
Moving on to desserts, when in Paris you must try a crêpe at least once. These thin pastries can be filled with either savoury foods like ham and cheese (our favourite) or sweet such as fruit preserves or Nutella.
Waffles in Bruges
Like the crêpe, waffles can be found all over the world, but still nowhere does them better than Belgium. These are the ultimate decadent dessert, especially when coated in thick and creamy chocolate sauce. 
Banana-que in Manila
A very popular street food in the Philippines, banana-que is simply a banana on a skewer that’s been deep-fried in caramelised sugar. They’re easy to make and frighteningly tempting.