Andrew Zimmern's Street Food Adventures

“Not to toot my own horn, but my New York City Wine and Food Festival event, Carts in the Parc, is unbelievable. We take the best of the city’s street food vendors, gather them in one place, then let the grazing begin. These are the tongue-in-cheek sliders I served in October 2010. They were fantastic, mostly due to the guy who helped me make them. Next picture, please...”—Andrew Zimmern

“Michael White agreed to team up with me on the tongue sliders. Nothing like having one the country’s best chefs cooking in your corner. He made me look like an all-star. Thanks @ChefBianco!”—AZ

“At a meat stall in a Muslim market in Harar, Ethiopia, I sampled raw beef and camel kidney dipped in lemon juice and spices. Let me say this: Camel is delicious, but when handled improperly, it’s rank. Lucky for me, these guys had superfresh stuff. Loved it.”—AZ

“Cultural affairs specialist Adelkrim Raddadi led me on a food tour of the souk, the famous market in Old Fez, Morocco. We tried these milkshakes—simply put, they were amazing. The green one is avocado, one of the most underrated desserts in the West. Sure, you might associate avocado with salty chips or tacos, but try a sweetened up version. It’ll knock your socks off.”—AZ

“You might know that the Finns love their black licorice. One of the oddest ways I’ve tried it was at Ingman Ice Cream Cart. Licorice and ice cream is actually pretty good, but I think, if given the choice, I’d stick to salted caramel” (Market Square, South Harbour, Helsinki).—AZ

“So everyone knows about hot dogs and the Big Apple. But for me, New York City street food is all about the Biryani Cart. Go for the superspicy homemade chicken kathi roll (roti wrapped around fillings). You gotta love the fact that cart owner Meru Sikder (originally from Bangladesh) blasts country-western music, which is so fantastic and weirdly New York” (46th Street and 6th Avenue, New York City).—AZ

“My friend Amy Ma, a food writer, brought me to the ever-impressive Jardine’s Bazaar in Causeway Bay, Hong Kong. Among other things, we tried the "century eggs"—duck eggs preserved for months in a mixture of clay, ash, salt, lime and rice hulls. They end up a horrific-looking, gelatinous, deep-green mess.”—AZ

“Amy might be the only person who’s ever given me the business for not taking a big enough bite. For that, Amy Ma, I salute you.”—AZ

“I love the Minnesota State Fair, and I go with my family every August for nearly all 12 days. There are a lot of booths I like, but the one I wait all year for is the Gizmo sandwich, straight outta Iowa. Here I am with Carla, one of the geniuses behind this amazing fair food” (Cooper Street, between Murphy Avenue and Lee Avenue, Minneapolis).—AZ

Minnesota

“Here’s my pal Rafferty, dominating the Gizmo. It’s basically a take on an Italian grinder: a hoagie stuffed with ground beef and Italian sausage, smothered in marinara sauce and sealed with fresh mozza. They use fresh ingredients, and it shows. Is it August yet?!”—AZ

“Sampling some boiled peanuts at a Vietnamese market in New Orleans. Fact: Did you know the Big Easy has a huge Vietnamese population? Yeah, I didn’t know it either, but it’s true. Some of the best Vietnamese food I’ve had, anywhere.”—AZ

“Some of the oddest foods I’ve encountered are "American" foods represented internationally. Exhibit A: Jungle Market, on a busy highway outside Udon Thani, Thailand. Here’s their interpretation of hamburgers with hot dogs, chicken and salad. I think I’ll stick to the local flavors.”—AZ

“Pickles, fruits and veggies at a stall in Aleppo, Syria. Is it art? Is it food? I think it can be both.”—AZ

“Austin, Texas, has one of the best food-truck scenes in the country, and this might be best mobile dish in the USA: Odd Duck’s goat cheese grits with duck egg, venison sausage and mushrooms” (1219 South Lamar Boulevard, Austin).—AZ

“You never know what you might find from the vendors on Jarong Road in South Korea. How about a protein-packed handful of roasted silkworm larvae? Tastes better than it looks!”—AZ

“The food shacks in Faith’s Pen are some of the best places to sample traditional Jamaican cuisine. There’s around 30 stalls to choose from—check out the grilled chicken, plantains, cassava and fish. Wow. You’ll also find lots of jerk (of the spice variety), slow roasted pork, rice, beans and, of course, Red Stripe.”—AZ