Lifestyle
Snacks Around the World That You Probably Didn't Know
If you're someone who loves going to food festivals, then you've experienced the culture bomb that eats you alive when you step under each tent. For me, every quarter-sandwich, roll of miscellaneous substance, and obscure, fried ball makes me think about the culture behind it. So, I did some research on snacks around the world—and here are the most commonly found snacks in 5 countries you've probably never heard of.
Mopane Worms
In Zimbabwe, a landlocked country in southern Africa, mopane worms are a delicacy in the cities and one of the most common snacks in rural areas. Even though the idea of munching on worms may freak you out, these insects are actually pretty versatile and can be dried and eaten like salty potato chips, or cooked in a spicy sauce and served with porridge. If you want to take your usual movie-night popcorn and replace it with these worms, you can just take a trip to Amazon and pour the insects into your popcorn bowl within a week.
Shingaras
If you've ever had a samosa, these pastries are a pretty close comparison. In Bangladesh, a heavily forested South Asian country east of India, these savory, fried pieces of dough filled with beef or chicken liver is a go-to street food option. This Bengali variation of samosas boasts a flaky, crisp crust.
Evapi
Shoutout to the Balkans on this one—cevapi is a dish made up of minced meat formed into sausages, grilled flatbread, and a side of roasted pepper relish (aka ajvar). This dish is the national soul food in Bosnia and Herzegovina, a country on the Balkan Peninsula in southeastern Europe. Next time you're craving a kebab, do a bit of Googling to find a nearby bakery or joint that sells cevapi. Once you try this dish, it'll be pretty hard to go back to the dearly loved Halal Guys.
Tsofi
America's unconditional love for chicken wings almost reflects Ghana's love for tsofi. In this wildlife-filled country on West Africa’s Gulf of Guinea, these fatty, crispy fried turkey tails are a guiltless (?) street food staple. These fried chunks of pure happiness are often served with fried yams. Folks, if there's one thing that should be on your bucket list, it's doing a side-by-side of chicken wings and fries vs. tsofi and fried yams.
Besan Burfi
In Nepal, a landlocked central Himalayan country in South Asia, besan burfi is one of the most addicting snacks you can find. This fudge-like dish tastes like a pistachio sugar cookie—made with chickpea flour, sugar, and ghee. Even if you're only used to roasted chickpeas and hummus, give this sweet snack a shot.
On a typical Friday night, you might order pizza with your friends, go to that trendy sushi place 45 minutes away, or try to be sneaky and score some free guac at Chipotle while the employees are too busy to realize that you weren't charged.
Instead, grab one of your adventurous friends and do these three things. Go on a Yelp hunt. Go to a food festival. Open your options. Do all of these, and you'll be exposed to a whole new world of food.