Indian ‘Paratha’ Among The Top Five Best Street Food In The World, Here Are The Top 50

A breakfast staple from the streets of India, 'paratha,' in the top five on the list of Top 50 best street foods by Taste Atlas.

By: Preeti Kulkarni Published: Nov 11, 2022 11:00 AM IST

Indian ‘Paratha’ Among The Top Five Best Street Food In The World, Here Are The Top 50 — Image Credit: Dhiraj Jain/Pexels

Anything revolving around world street food is of great interest to the global gourmands. While everyone has their own pick from various delectable items dished out on the streets across the world, travel guide — Taste Atlas — has come up with a Top 50 list in this category. It’s not surprising that a seemingly humble yet flavourful dish from the streets of Malaysia — roti canai bags the number one title of best street food followed by lumpiang Shanghai from the Philippines and the Japanese karaage. Not far behind, at the fifth spot is India’s staple street food paratha. By Preeti Kulkarni

More about roti canai, paratha and other top dishes

What is roti canai and why is it the best street food?

As the name suggests, roti canai is a flatbread packed with the goodness of eggs and essential fat from the Indian clarified butter, ghee. It has an outer texture of a flaky pastry but is soft and wholesome on the inside. This can be enjoyed on its own or with a spicy curry of one’s choice. That is how it is usually served on the streets. If you are not a fan of spicy, savoury food, this versatile dish is served with sweet fillings too, by the street vendors commonly known as the mamaks.

The dish was brought to Malaysia by Indian migrants in the 1800s and had a very humble start as it was a staple enjoyed by the labourers. Its versatility, simplicity and wholesomeness makes it popular as a street food.

The top 5 street food dishes are Asian

The Filipino lumpiang Shanghai has been ranked the second-best street food in the world for all the right reasons. This deep-fried party snack takes inspiration from Chinese spring rolls but it is prepared by adding flavours from pork, beef or shrimp and is served with a sweet and sour sauce.

The Japanese karaage comes in the top three street food items solely for its technique which involves keeping the outer cover of the chicken (which is the main ingredient of this dish) crispy and juicy, while it is tender on the inside. The Japanese coat bits of chicken in arrowroot powder before frying and serving with a seasoning of ginger and garlic, topped with a generous helping of soy sauce.

Keeping this list in picture, it can be safely said that Asian dishes are amongst the most popular street foods consumed on the go or as a festive, party snack in the world.

Affordable and packed with nutrients, next up on this list is a loaded sandwich from Vietnam, bánh mì. A delectable takeaway from colonialism, the French baguette is used as a base to stuff meat, fresh vegetables, choicest spices and pickles to make this wholesome snack.

Completing the top five list is the Indian paratha which is the ultimate breakfast food of the country. Devoured at any time of the day, paratha is an extremely filling flatbread made with flour. At times, it can also have fillings of various vegetables like cottage cheese, potatoes, cauliflower among other things.