Street Food American Culture

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Recommended: Literature review on street food

I chose a blog post that deals with culture and ethnicity concerning street food in Istanbul, Turkey. I felt that this blog post not only delved deep into the topic of the authenticity of these foods as cultural expressions of Turkish cuisine, but also the underlying sociological phenomenon that governs the industry.

Street food is the ultimate embodiment of ethnicity in that it can be themed to follow a specific country’s cuisine. I saw this firsthand on a visit to New York City, in which I was amazed at the variety of culturally-unique fares available. The blog post touched heavily on the diminishing amount of street food available in Turkey due to increased regulation in the modern age.

Tight regulation of the food industry is commonplace in American culture, but not necessarily universally followed in other countries. As an increasingly globalized world has pushed the diffusion of many American ideals, including regulation, onto other cultures, a degradation of local culture has occurred. In the case of street food in Turkey, many owners “play hide and seek with authorities, quickly packing up their stand at the first sign of police” (Wynn). This is …show more content…

In the case of Turkey, a country vying for entry into the European Union, “ food safety standards had to be improved and these food boats had to come under compliance or close down” (Wynn). McDonaldization is causing the Turkish government to enact strict regulation laws which emphasize the importance of food-safety over the diversity of food available. One may even worry that a food landscape will arise devoid of street food and its unique cultural expressions entirely. A landscape where only fast-food companies and other restaurants with enough capital can afford to comply with the strict

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