Position Paper 4: Wild Card

Street Food of the World 

        When learning about a new place in the world I always enjoy learning about the popular food in that area. Lots of times the most popular dishes have interesting backstories that go beyond just surface level. So, when I came across a new line of shows on Netflix about the popular street foods in various parts of the world I was instantly intrigued. It was not my first time hearing the term street food, since I follow a Youtuber by the name of Mark Wiens on YouTube who makes a living traveling and trying street food from all over the world. Initially, Netflix released Street Food: Asia and a year later released Street Food: Latin America. Having access to television programming that allows me to learn and connect with cultures outside of my own is beneficial.

        Street Food: Asia debuted via Netflix in the Spring of 2019 and was received. The documentary has a one hundred percent rating through Rotten Tomatoes. The documentary looks at the street food shops and owners in various Asian countries. In the first episode, we are given background information on the treatment of street vendors by the respective Asian governments. They are said to be taking up space on the tax-payer streets and leeching off the resources, although the locals want them to see as they are all serving hundreds and at some shops thousands of people daily. In some countries, street food vendors have been forced to buy storefronts or take up business elsewhere.

            This documentary was entertaining from beginning to end. With each new food stall that was introduced, we learned the backstory of the owners and what they do that makes their signature dishes unique. There was one gentleman from Chiayi, Tai who makes a traditional goat stew that was once used by emperors of the Sui dynasty in hopes of becoming immortal. Even today his customers claim to feel the effects of the medicinal concoction as it had been said to cure many illnesses.  Making the stew is dangerous to the cook because of the smoke. They inhale lots of smoke because the pots are buried underground in a fire pit. He was the only vendor that said he did not want his children or family to continue the business because of the health risks, but he did say that he hoped that others would keep the traditional stew alive.

This entire documentary was appealing because of how up close and personal the camera was with the fire or the large pots of food. Especially in the segment of India, they took pride in the array of colors in the spices that they used, and even their attire. The turmeric was such a rich golden color and Kashmiri red chile was a vibrant red color that would instantly color the entire pot.

I noticed that most of the vendors suffered hardships in their upbringing. Many of them did not finish their primary education yet managed to run their own business despite the odds. They were more concerned with making their customers good homemade quality rather than trying to get rich. One of the men in Osaka, Japan literally gave the shirt off his back to a tourist that traveled all the way to find his shop. I would recommend this documentary to people who like to watch cooking shows or enjoy Asian cuisine. 

'Street Food: Latin America' followed just one year after the success of the show in Asia. The Latin American governments regulate street food vendors but have less strained relationships than those in Asia. In the first episode, we get to explore a family-owned restaurant in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Pato Rodriguez took over her father’s restaurant and started putting her spin on some traditional dishes, like the stuffed tortilla. I learned that there is lots of European influence in Argentina because the Spanish conquest claimed many of the natives.

Another episode took place in Salvador Brazil. The African and Portuguese influence can be seen in the food. Red palm oil flavors and colored the rich pots of black-eyed peas, meats, and more. Due to the slave trade, slaves made their way through Salvador and some settled there. These street food shops were not all right in the hustle and bustle of the city, but even in people’s homes in a nice intimate setting. I noticed that the food was more likely to be served in communal bowls for the tables of strangers to share from.

I was shocked when I learned one of the men being featured for his restaurant in Peru has a Ph.D. in Chemistry and travels the world for school before returning home to take over his father’s restaurant. He is also fully Japanese and is the third generation born in Peru and identifies as Peruvian. He is a unique character because he was not concerned with the physical attributes of his store-front, but he put off his energy and science background into creating an experience as he cooked.

Each of these countries and their people has many things that make them unique. A commonality is that all restaurant owners are passionate about their food and customers. Each of them takes pride in their culture and it can be seen in the quality of food that they produce. Now they can share their knowledge and passion with people from all over the world.