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X
is for xa xiu
Xa xiu
, the barbecued pork filling of
a
banh mi
(Vietnamese sandwich),
has become hugely popular on the
continent. It’s been available in
Paris for many years in Belleville
Chinatown, in the city’s 20th
arrondisement. In London, fantastic
xa xiu banh mi can be found at the
Banh Mi 11 stall on Berwick Street,
while the newly opened Babanbè deli
(
2 Oranienplatz
) has introduced the
spicy sandwich to hungry Berliners.
Z
is for zapiekanka
Once dusk has fallen, your best bet for
a bite in Krakow is this humble dish,
the favoured nosh of students, boozers
and assorted late-night cruisers.
It’s basically a long chunk of bread,
chucked under the grill, and finished
with cheese, shrooms and a sprinkling
of chives. Meaty extras are popular
too. The legendary, mustachioed Mr
Endzior has punters queuing round
the block for his concoctions at the
roundhouse on Krakow’s Plac Nowy.
W
is for waffle
This batter-based, crenellated treat is
practically synonymous with Belgian
food. As any connoisseur will tell
you, the Liège version is a Brussels
favourite for good reason. Gooey and
doughy, with a caramelised sugar
coating and chunks of pearl sugar
inside, Liège waffles are best eaten hot
off the irons from carts set up near
tourist sites, like the Grand Place, and
at open-air markets, such as the one
held on Saturdays at Place Dumon.
Y
is for Yemenite
Israel’s favourite comfort food comes
from an unlikely source – Yemen,
with snack recipes brought with
the Jews when they left the Arabian
Peninsula. There’s
jachnun
, a baked,
rolled pastry eaten with tomato and
eggs; and
malawach
, a fried pancake
eaten with eggs, honey and – if you’re
feeling brave – chilli sauce. To sample
this cuisine in Tel Aviv, head to the
Yemenite neighbourhood of Kerem
HaTeymanimpast the Carmel Market.
V
is for vegetarian
Stalls like London’s Whole Food
Heaven (
wholefoodheaven.co.uk
),
near Old Street, and Berlin’s Sun
Day Burgers at the Mauer Park
Flea Market in Prenzlauer Berg, are
tapping into a new appetite for meat-
free treats. Of course, the French have
long peddled veggie street food in the
form of crêpes, along with buckwheat
galettes in Brittany and Nice’s
socca
– chickpea crêpes. Good to know that
street food’s not all offal.
PHOTOS © ALAMY, BIG FAT GAY ICE CREAM, GETTY, ERIC SHIN