Never try Thai Street Food!!
The point, of course, is that it’s delicious and inexpensive. If you’re a traveler eating street food in a poor country , you’re doing so out of choice. Sure, some backpackers are able to extend their trips by pinching pennies at every meal, but it’s still not the same situation as the typical local customer who, given the choice might well go for the fancy air-conditioned restaurant up the street.
What makes street food so wonderful is that it’s the great
democratize. It levels the playing field and opens it up to all comers.
In the US where I’m from, opening a restaurant costs hundreds of
thousands of dollars or more. This severely limits who can cook and sell
their own food. There is so much red tape and regulation that it can
often take well over a year before the first dish ever comes out of the
kitchen. Ventilation must be installed, firefighting systems
implemented, building inspections performed, and licenses applied for.
This high-cost barrier to entry means restaurants are run by those with
the money to open them, not necessarily the best cooks.
Why street food?
Khao Man Gai Ban Deed Kim - If you’ve ever gotten
off the BTS at Sala Daeng station and walked down Soi Convent, you’ve
probably walked right by this stall. And I’ve walked past it hundreds of
times, but this was actually my first time to stop and eat there. They
are well known in Bangkok for their khao man gai, Thai
style Hainanese chicken and rice. We each ordered a plate to get things
started. Overall, very good, light fluffy rice with just the right
amount if chicken oil, bouncy chicken, and fermented soybean sauce.
In conclusion
Traditionally, Thai foods are prepared daily by housewives in every Thai household. Yet, selling food is a common economic activity in old Siam, as various ingredients, fruits and traditional delicacies was offered at "floating markets" in canals as early as the Ayutthaya Period (1350-1767). Floating market food or canal food has been sold from boats on Thailand's rivers and canals for over two centuries. However, since the early 20th century King Rama V's modernizations caused a shift towards land-based stalls. Nevertheless, street food did not become popular among native Thai people until the early 1960s, when the rapid urban population growth stimulated the street food culture,[9] and by the 1970s it had "displaced home-cooking."[10] In Bangkok parlance, a housewife who feeds her family from a street food vendor is known as a "plastic-bag housewife", which originated from street vendors packaging the food in plastic bags.
The proliferation of Thailand's street food culture is attributed to both internal and external factors: the Thai way of life that revolved around agriculture and food production, the rich culinary tradition, the readily accessible and affordable food is engrained in Thai culture, rapid urbanization that created local demand and subsequently opportunities in food service especially in urban areas, as well as rising demand for local foods by foreign visitors.[11]
Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Street_food_of_Thailand
Hope you guys love it CHEER!
