In this encyclopedia, two experienced world travelers and numerous contributors provide a fascinating worldwide survey of street foods and recipes to document the importance of casual cuisine to every culture, covering everything from dumplings to hot dogs and kebabs to tacos.
Street foods run deep throughout human history and show the movements of peoples and their foods across the globe. For example, mandoo, manti, momo, and bāozi: all of these types of dumplings originated in Central Asia and spread across the Old World beginning in the 12th century. This encyclopedia surveys common street foods in about 100 countries and regions of the world, clearly depicting how "fast foods of the common people" fit into a country or a region's environments, cultural history, and economy. The entries provide engaging information about specific foods as well as coverage of vendor and food stall culture and issues. An appendix of recipes allows for hands-on learning and provides opportunities for readers to taste international street foods at home.

• Presents an international survey of street foods in representative countries and regions that includes interesting facts and recipe to illustrate many of them
  
• Supplies the historical and environmental background of the country's street food
  
• Includes sidebars with fun facts and statistics about street foods
  
• Provides highly useful information for students studying geography and for travelers