Risky Dining on the Street |
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A recent trip to Asia brought several encounters with local street vendors hawking greasy scallion pancakes, brothy noodles, stinky tofu, juicy pork buns, baskets of dumplings, tender lamb shanks and offal skewers. Passing diners drawn by the street-side performances ate carefree along blocks lined with pushcarts and stands.
In the United States, street food is a bit of an anomaly. In large urban environments, the confluence of ethnic communities and population density offer some semblance of a street food scene. However, the majority of the United States seems much too domesticated; we are a nation of drivers, preferring to roll into a sit-down restaurant or by a drive-through window.
But some communities are starting to experience a street-food renaissance. Led by immigrants trained by the traditions of their homeland, aspiring food entrepreneurs bring their authentic homey flavors to the street sans permits, licenses and controls required by local governments.
While these street-side stands often offer tantalizing food that is quick to prepare or assemble, mobile-friendly and affordable, local officials in numerous cities have begun to crackdown on the illegal operations.
In the hierarchy of civic malfeasance, an unlicensed food service operation may seem inconsequential, but it is a bane to the neighborhoods bothered by the noise, traffic and trash these operations generate.
Furthermore, restaurants lose business to these rogue competitors. Local governments also lose in these situations: valuable tax revenue goes under the cart or stand as unlicensed vendors thrive in their cash-only business.
Most disturbing, however, is the potential public health threat. While some may argue even licensed kitchens can produce contaminated foods, unlicensed operations are often run by those without any training or awareness about food safety and handling.
Additionally, they probably do not have the controls to trace and identify ingredients or products in the event some outbreak occurs. It is one thing to make family meals, but making food at a commercial scale also means more critical points where errors or contamination may occur.
To paraphrase an old Chinese idiom: be vigilant, but not fearful of what could happen. License, permit and inspection requirements are to instill vigilance and awareness, not to provide certainty.
But does domesticating street food alter the essence of a dish? Many traditional methods run counter to modern health regulations such as time and temperature limits for food storage and handling. Basic hygiene and sanitation standards differ culturally. Acceptability also varies, so should food be less- or more-regulated?
Eras ago, relationships among diners and their purveyors were closer and more personal. But times have changed and so the street scene must also change. Hopefully that does not mean street food has to move indoors to find that balance.
In the United States, street food is a bit of an anomaly. In large urban environments, the confluence of ethnic communities and population density offer some semblance of a street food scene. However, the majority of the United States seems much too domesticated; we are a nation of drivers, preferring to roll into a sit-down restaurant or by a drive-through window.
But some communities are starting to experience a street-food renaissance. Led by immigrants trained by the traditions of their homeland, aspiring food entrepreneurs bring their authentic homey flavors to the street sans permits, licenses and controls required by local governments.
While these street-side stands often offer tantalizing food that is quick to prepare or assemble, mobile-friendly and affordable, local officials in numerous cities have begun to crackdown on the illegal operations.
In the hierarchy of civic malfeasance, an unlicensed food service operation may seem inconsequential, but it is a bane to the neighborhoods bothered by the noise, traffic and trash these operations generate.
Furthermore, restaurants lose business to these rogue competitors. Local governments also lose in these situations: valuable tax revenue goes under the cart or stand as unlicensed vendors thrive in their cash-only business.
Most disturbing, however, is the potential public health threat. While some may argue even licensed kitchens can produce contaminated foods, unlicensed operations are often run by those without any training or awareness about food safety and handling.
Additionally, they probably do not have the controls to trace and identify ingredients or products in the event some outbreak occurs. It is one thing to make family meals, but making food at a commercial scale also means more critical points where errors or contamination may occur.
To paraphrase an old Chinese idiom: be vigilant, but not fearful of what could happen. License, permit and inspection requirements are to instill vigilance and awareness, not to provide certainty.
But does domesticating street food alter the essence of a dish? Many traditional methods run counter to modern health regulations such as time and temperature limits for food storage and handling. Basic hygiene and sanitation standards differ culturally. Acceptability also varies, so should food be less- or more-regulated?
Eras ago, relationships among diners and their purveyors were closer and more personal. But times have changed and so the street scene must also change. Hopefully that does not mean street food has to move indoors to find that balance.
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