4 Best Asian Street Food To Try While Traveling East Asia

I love street food. Who doesn’t love?! It’s sinfully good. The cheap and warm street food from all over the city is the best, especially on a cold night!

Of all the street food I have eaten, Indonesia has the best. If you think I am biased, visit Indonesia and try to prove me wrong. Still, I have tasted some delicious varieties while travelling, especially in East Asian street food culture. Here are some of the tastiest ones I have ever eaten there.

Asian Street Food Culture

Tanghulu in Beijing, China

My friend Yin accompanied me when I saw this candy in Beijing. I was like, “WHY IS IT GLITTERY?!! IT’S SO LONG, I CAN’T FINISH IT! I WANT ONE!”. Before I finished my sentence, I had one in my hand. I tried the small apple-like skewer, which tasted sweet and sour and lip-smackingly good.

The sugary syrups-glazed fruit skewer, famous street food in China, is called Tanghulu. It’s known as an auspicious symbol. On special days, like Chinese New Year,  it’s used as decorations in temples. Tanghulu was initially made as a medicine to cure an ill royal family member.

Can you believe this sugar-coated fruit stick thingy was a prescribed medicine?! It is a perfect excuse to try it! For healing purposes, of course.

Ningyo-yaki in Tokyo, Japan

We were wandering around Asakusa when I got separated from my friends. So what was the first thing I’d do in such a situation? Buy a bag of street food, of course.

Ningyo-yaki, translated as fried dolls, comes in different shapes. It’s a fried batter that tastes sweet, soft, and addictive! Japan has a knack for making everything a hundred times more fun.

Gyeran Bbang, Seoul, South Korea

I had the badass combo of egg and bread in the form of Asian street food on my first morning on the Korea trip. It was a  perfect winter breakfast on the go. It tasted fantastic! I tried to find the street vendor guy who sold it the next day but had no luck.

Milky Taiwanese Youtiao

It was cold when Amma and I explored the Ximending night market. Then, of course, we had our dinner, but we stayed a bit longer to pamper our taste buds with the local delights because we were in Taipei, Taiwan, the kingdom of Asian street food.

I finished my session with frozen cherry tomatoes dipped in sugar this time (like Tanghulu but much smaller and less fun), while mom had fried bread, the Taiwanese Youtiao.

The Youtiao came with different toppings; peanuts, milk, chocolate sprinkles, and other delicious-looking stuff. I took a few bites. The bread was still crispy when the milk started to seep in. So good.

Ultimately, there is no excuse not to munch on Asian street food because it’s deliciously happiness-inducing.

Follow me on Instagram @KultureKween for more recent updates.