Broke-Ass Porn: Street Food

Once a week we present Broke-Ass Porn.  It’s visually stimulating material for the financially impaired.  If this shit doesn’t get you going, you’re not as broke as you thought:

Some wicked takoyaki street I got in Osaka

Beckoning with charm like an old friend you meet in the street, food carts have a way of brightening your day.  You can tell a lot about a culture by the state of it’s street food: what is considered holy, what is considered clean, what is considered worth waiting for, and what is considered taboo.  And for us, the broke-ass masses, there is rarely an opportunity to eat so well for so little, as we do when we cross paths with one of these wheeled distributors of finely fueled fortune.

From California’s taco trucks to New York’s dirty water dogs, the base has been built with regards to what it means to sell food from a cart.  But these venerable victuals are simply a foundation for a movement towards something beautiful, experimental, and new.  Today in the streets of New York, from barbeque to biryani to bulgogi, your options are boundless.  And in San Francisco, where  the street venders are tethered by strict health codes, a sort of quiet revolution is taking place, redefining what can be considered street food.

Awesome street food vendor I met in Osaka

Yes, the future looks bright for food carts, but don’t think the forces of evil aren’t doing their best to thwart it.  In recent years crackdowns have been made on the bacon wrapped hot dog carts in both Los Angeles and San Francisco, and street vendors in New York have dealt with similar harassment.  But luckily for you and I, dear reader, there are those who believe in the inherent goodness of street food and are making it their duty to keep us updated with all the victories and set backs in this struggle.  If you’re in New York, The Street Vendor Project is your best resource, they even sponsor the Vendy Awards each year for the best street food vender.  And in SF, make sure to stay up with Burrito Justice, a blog that began as response to the threatened removal of a revered taco truck.

As for me, I’m just looking forward to the next time I tun into The Tamale Lady.  I’m getting hungry just thinking about it.