The US mobile food industry was born on from an idea that people across the country wanted an opportunity to eat inexpensive yet delicious street food. The United States is a melting pot of people from around the world, all of whom have favorite styles of food from their originating countries, and have brought these tastes with them. In addition to the numerous backgrounds of people as a whole, Americans enjoy travelling around the world. Part of their travel fascination is finding the local food which is most interesting and not as available back in the States.

One of the world’s famous treats is street food. They are often associated with fast food or something that is ready to eat or drink. These goodies and are light on the budget, a good way to stave off hunger. Most, if not all, are finger foods or skewered for convenience and enjoyment. Outside of the US street foods are normally found just as they are described, on the on sidewalks, and along the streets.

Many of the chefs who have opend up food trucks and carts around the country have taken these ideas and made them mobile to bring them to the streets of their local areas.

Here are just some (but not all) of the world’s best street food wonders that have made their way to the people of the United States via the mobile food industry.

Belgian Frites, Belgium

These have morphed into a myriad of forms including freedom fries, frites and chips. This potato madness is famous around the world. Frites are traditionally made with Belgian Bintje potatoes, twice-cooked and may be seasoned with salt, or dipped in ketchup (catsup) or mayonnaise. Digging deep into its history, as opposed to current beliefs, French fries were claimed to originate from Belgium with the name Belgian Frites but there’s actually nothing French about them. It is said that they are called French Fries because French was the official language of the Belgian army at that time (World War I era) and also because in old English, “French” means to cut into sticks.

Food trucks you may find serving this:

Street Frites – San Francisco

Twitter: @StreetFrites

Frites’n’Meats – New York City

Twitter: @fritesnmeats

Frysmith – Los Angeles

Twitter: @Frysmith

Poutine, Canada

A street food treat that involves another street food wonder. Poutine makes way for revolutionizing French fries from a plain snack to a full-packed meal. In Poutine; fries are cut thicker and larger than the average ones, so that the outside stays crunchy and the inside remains warm and soft. Cheese curds and gravy or sauce are added to give more flavor and twist to this all-time favorite snack turned meal. There are also variations of this street food in other countries, like in Italy where they replace gravy with tomato sauce, adding a touch of Italian twist to this Canadian dish.

Food trucks you may find serving this:

The Poutine Truck – Los Angeles

Twitter: @thepoutinetruck

Lola D’s Kitchen – Las Vegas

Twitter: @loladskitchen

eat Wonky – Washington DC

Twitter: @eatwonky

Crepe, France

Paris made its name through their world-class dining places and delicious mouth-watering offers. The streets and sidewalks were no alien to France’s food business, hence, the birth of the Crepe industry. These are authentic, thinly-made French pancakes that are served with fillings. Be it meat, fruits, or sweets, crepes surely satisfy your gastronomic needs. They will leave you on your toes, and wanting more. They are not only available on the streets, they’re now getting into the top restaurants, not only in France but in other parts of the world as well.

Food trucks you may find serving this:

Planet of the Crepes – Tucson

Twitter: @crepestucson

Crepes Bonaparte – Los Angeles

Twitter: @CrepesBonaparte

Melange Creperie – Houston

Twitter: @MelangeCreperie 

Vada pav, India

This King of street foods fits vegetarians and non-vegetarian customers. Pav, may be referred to as unsweetened bread or bun is stuffed with Vada, which means a handful of mashed potato bhaji coated with batter and deep fried with ginger, finely minced red and green chilies and turmeric and a phodani of mustard seeds. It is usually served with a chutney or sauce that is commonly made out of a mix of garlic, shredded coconut meat, and tamarind pulp. There are also variations of this street food sandwich in different places in India.

Food trucks you may find serving this:

Homage Street Food – Chicago

Twitter: @HomageSF

Curry Up Now – San Francisco

Twitter: @CurryUpNow

Bollywood Bites – Los Angeles

Twitter: @BOLLYWOOD_BITES

Beef/Pork Jerky, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

One of Malaysia’s national food that is known to local and foreign travelers; the Malaysian beef/pork jerky will surely give a whole new meaning to your ordinary grilled meat experience. The meat is thinly sliced,put on a hot grill for a few minutes and then set away from fire to dry them off. This results in delicious jerky. Unlike the newer versions of this street food wonder, the original makers of this dish trimmed off the fat before cooking the meat. What makes this dish mouth-watering is the secret technique and recipe behind the marination process, giving it a distinct taste as compared to others.

Food trucks you may find serving this:

Pinoy Jeepney – Los Angeles

Twitter: @jpneymealsnwils

Tapa Boy – Los Angeles

Twitter: @TapaBoyLA

Hey Joe – Phoenix

Twitter: @HEYJOETRUCK

Taco, Mexico City, Mexico

You’ve seen this on television, on malls, on feasts, but thisis definitely one of the world’s most famous street food wonder. When you hear the word “Taco”, there’s only one place you can think of, Mexico. Over the years, the variety of taco fillings have been growing, from beef, seafood, chicken, vegetables and of course, cheese. With a mixture of tasty meat and salsa and lettuce and cilantro and tomatoes and onions then topped with oozing saucy and cheesy goodness wrapped in a wheat tortilla, who would not fall in love with this world old time favorite?

Food trucks you may find serving this:

Big Truck Tacos – Oklahoma City

Twitter: @bigtrucktacos

Guapos Tacos – Philadelphia

Twitter: @guapostacos

Taquero Fusion – Chicago

Twitter: @taquerofusion

Kebab, Istanbul, Turkey

This mighty-meaty street food wonder is stuffed in bread with a salad or also most commonly ordered with fries. A traditional Kebab is made out of lamb meat but now, variations of kebab have grown wild with the use of pork, beef, chicken, goat, fish and seafood meat as well as its proliferation throughout the world. With rich roots from Persia, this street food wonder made its way to Istanbul and captured global hearts as well.

Food trucks you may find serving this:

My Kabob Express – Los Angeles

Twitter: @MyKabobExpress

Tasty Kabob – Washington DC

Twitter: @TastyKabob

Kitchen Kabab – Miami

Twitter: @KitchenKabab

Balut, Philippines

Home to a growing number of street food lovers and vendors, the Philippines no different from its neighboring countries when it comes to having a variety of street food treats. Balut, also known as fertilized duck egg with nearly-developed embryo inside the shell. Chinese migrants are said to have brought the idea of this exotic gastronomic treat to the country but the locals have mastered the craft of balut-making in the spirit of Filipino tradition. Balut-eaters usually prefer to season the egg with salt or vinegar and chili mixture to balance off the flavors. There’s also a milder version of Balut, which is Penoy, where the egg has not yet matured, thus, only having a yolk instead of a duck embryo. Believed to be an aphrodisiac by the locals, this could be a challenge for those are looking for an energetic night with their partners. Other famous local street foods are Taho (made of fresh silken and soft tofu),arnibal (caramel sauce), and pearl sago (pearl tapioca), sorbetes (local ice cream), and fish balls. 

Food trucks you may find serving this:

BalutBangusBus – San Francisco

Twitter: @BalutBangusBus

Next time you wander up to a food truck, invoke your inner Bourdain and get to know the people and their real foods. We ask you to let your stomach and palate take over. Having some of these cultural street food treats that will surely make your visit a memorable one.