East and South Asia

Asia represents an enormous landmass with very diverse people, cultures, and cuisines. Differing from the rest of the world, many of the cultures and cuisines have developed over centuries with limited influence from the outside. However, when cultural exchange does occur, newly introduced ingredients and techniques are often embraced and assimilated.

In Asia, street food is usually not sold from an isolated vendor, but rather it is found in busy bazaars, night markets, or in organized hawker centers. Interestingly, many people in Asia like to differentiate between street food and food sold on the streets. Traditional street foods include snacks and small dishes for immediate consumption. Just as often, however, people buy whole dishes or components of a meal from vendors on the street to eat at home with the family or at work.