The Street Stand: Tacos, Tamales, and other Snacks

I think much of the best food in the world is street food–the portable snacks you buy from carts on the sidewalk, or from little shops with just a couple of specialties. Every culture has it’s own street food, from Chinese buns to Italian panini. Mexican-Americans have a remarkable variety of them–tortas and tamales, gorditas and sopes, and of course tacos, the namesake snack.

The taquería is found in Latin neighborhoods throughout the Western hemisphere. There’s usually an open kitchen, so you can see what’s going on, and a menu with plenty of choices. Nearly every dish is some type of starch, stuffed with meat or chicken, and usually sauced.