Top 10 best snacks in the world

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This was published 7 years ago

Top 10 best snacks in the world

By Ben Groundwater
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1. VADA PAV, INDIA

Ask any Mumbaikar what they miss about home when they're away and they'll inevitably mention vada pav, the street food snack that has an entire city in its thrall. A vada pav is a fairly simple arrangement: it's a spiced, deep-fried potato patty served in a bun with chutney and coriander. The taste, however, is far greater than the sum of its parts.

2. CHUANR, CHINA

Any time you see a cloud of smoke hanging over a marketplace in Xinjiang, in China's far north-west, you know what's cooking: chuanr. These are essentially shish kebabs of lamb that have been marinated in cumin seeds and chilli flakes, sometimes brushed with sesame oil, and grilled over hot coals. The only thing that can possibly make this street snack even tastier is the addition of cold beer.

3. FRITES, BELGIUM

If there is anything tastier than a big paper cone of genuine Belgian frites, hot out of the fryer, swimming in mayonnaise or some other "frites saus", then I would like to see it. The Belgians are intensely proud of their fried potatoes, and with good reason: these are nothing short of an artery-clogging delicacy, a rare snack that's as good at two in the afternoon as it is at two in the morning.

4. SAI KROG, THAILAND

Throughout the Isaan region of northern Thailand, as well as the larger markets in Bangkok, you can always find sai krog – spicy, fermented local sausages – sizzling away on a grill. Sai krog are usually served in a plastic bag, perfect for eating on the run, with sticky rice or hunks of fresh cabbage. The combination of hot and sour is perfect for a steamy Thai afternoon.

5. CHEESE ROLL, NEW ZEALAND

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These things aren't exactly ubiquitous – in fact if you go looking for one anywhere outside of New Zealand's far south, you'll get nothing but confused stares. In Dunedin and Invercargill, however, bakeries and cafes serve up these cheesy treats: slices of bread coated in a mixture of grated cheese, evaporated milk and French onion soup mix, rolled up and grilled to golden perfection. Choice, bro.

6. CHORIPAN, ARGENTINA

Every Argentinean football fan's favourite snack is the choripan, a grilled chorizo that's sliced down the middle and served on a crusty roll with chimichurri and other sauces. Choripan vendors can be found outside just about every sporting stadium in the country, as well as near any market or public gathering. You'll be able to spot the smoke from miles away.

7. PIZZA, NEW YORK

The hot dogs in New York are good, but the pizza is even better. Just picture yourself collecting one of those giant slices of goodness, oozing with tangy tomato sauce, melty mozzarella and slabs of pepperoni; just imagine folding the whole thing in half and gently feeding your face. This is snacking at its gluttonous best.

8. TAKOYAKI, JAPAN

The residents of Osaka will line up for hours to get to their favourite purveyor of takoyaki, a spherical snack made of fried batter and hunks of octopus, topped with kewpie mayonnaise, takoyaki sauce and bonito flakes. Piping hot takoyaki are a sought-after delicacy throughout the country, but the Kansai region remains the original and best place to try it.

9. SUPPLI, ITALY

While Rome is bursting at the seams with great food, it has surprisingly few street snacks. Fortunately, it's suppli to the rescue. Suppli, like its southern cousin the arancini, is a deep-fried ball of risotto, although the Roman style is to mix the rice with tomato sugo and stuff a hunk of mozzarella in the middle. You already know that's going to taste good.

10. SALTENAS, BOLIVIA

When hunger hits on the streets of La Paz, there's only one place you want to be going: the nearest purveyor of saltenas. Saltenas are like empanadas – triangular pockets of pastry filled with spiced mince – although the filling of a saltena is much soupier, meaning the best way to eat one is to bite off an end and drink the soup before tucking into the rest.

See also: The best country in the world for food

See also: Sorry world, Australia's coffee is better than yours

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