Vegan Street Food = Vegan Bliss

Here at the Vegan Food Quest we eat a lot of vegan street food, mainly in South East Asian countries because that is where we have travelled the most (and found the best vegan food!) but also in Cuba and India (home of some of our most favourite vegan foods).

Wherever we go on our travels, we eat from the street, because in our opinion Vegan Street Food = Vegan Bliss

Some people might warn you off eating street food with horror stories of sickness, but avoid eating it and you miss out on some of the tastiest food in the word. One of the bonuses of street food is that it’s often cooked right in front of you so you can often see exactly what you are about to eat. Not only is it fascinating to see how some of these dishes are prepared and cooked but you often get to see exactly what ingredients are added.

This lovely lady left off the bacon in these teriyaki mushroom skewers for us

This means that you can intervene as an egg is about to be cracked into your Pad Thai or decline the prawn crackers added to your Balinese Tahu Tipat. Plus, you can talk directly to the chef and ask about the ingredients (you’ll have to learn to few words of the local lingo for this!).

Balinese ‘Tahu Tipat’: Fried tofu with cubes of rice which has been steamed in banana leaf smothered with peanut sauce and chilli

In some countries, we have found naturally vegan street food, in other places we have had to be a little more creative and veganise what’s on offer (a fun challenge if you don’t happen to speak the local language and one where you will need to hone your acting skills).  Be prepared for strange looks and to  have no sense of embarrassment as you try to get the message across about your dietary requirements when you travel as a vegan.

Malaysian ‘putu piring’, an accidentally vegan street food, no need to mime your veganism here

Persevere with your search for tasty vegan treats and you’ll find that some of the best vegan food in the world can be found on the street, like Thai ‘Khanom Krok’ (possibly the best food ever).

We Love Khanom Krok, found in Thailand and Laos, these little coconut milk and rice flour pancakes are always vegan

Sometimes eating from the street is a quick and informal affair, sat on the side of the road or the beach. No frills here…

Eating ‘Tahu Lumpia’ on the beach in Bali: tasty fried vegetable spring rolls with tofu and peanut sauce

But in lots of places you can have a proper sit down meal, with a plate and cutlery. Very posh indeed.

This amazing vegan meal came from a tiny stall in Java…very civilised street food

If you love street food just as much as we do then the Annual Vegetarian Food Festival in Thailand should be on your bucket list. There’s vegan street food everywhere, the streets are literally paved with plant-based goodies and happy people selling them.

Also, check out our vegan guide to Cambodian street food for more amazing vegan street food in Southeast Asia!

Hard to resist a deep fried vegan snack from someone who is so happy

Here’s what she was cooking…vegan fried food. Mmm…

What’s your favourite street food and where did you find it? Share the vegan love and tell us in the comments section, we’ll definitely reply because we love to talk about food, almost as much as we love to eat it. Happy vegan eating (from the street)!