Street Wise

Cape Town | 2 - 4 June 2017 | CTICC

Johannesburg | 28 - 30 July 2017 | Ticketpro DOME

Durban | 27 - 29 October 2017 | Durban Exhibition Centre

FOCUS

“Street Food” has been around for centuries, but only in more recent years did the local neighbourhood snack shack get its gourmet on! The gentrification of food trucks continues unabated and the sun won’t set on this trend in 2017. Nope, new-age street food is very much here to stay, along with its free-range all-beef burgers served on organic greens with truffle oil mayo and a home-baked bun – and thank goodness for those!

Food trucks have successfully shed their greasy former reputation as “roach mobiles”. Now, instead of dishing up the sloppy seconds of yore, they have become sexy go-to food spots where all manner of yummy things are created by a bona fide chef who has left restaurant-style silver service in the dust.

The reasons behind the rising popularity of street food the world over are easy to understand. You can get relatively cheap, but very good meals that can be taken away, eaten on-the-go, or gobbled up in the immediate environs – like a park bench. It’s fast, unfussy and fun. There are also a wealth of delicious options available and you have the freedom to dine-around from one truck or stall to the next.

The spread of the street food trend has been further aided by the global economic downturn, which has reduced spending at expensive, upmarket restaurants. Of course, our shrinking pockets have by no means curbed the our desire to experience and enjoy flavourful food! And that certainly abounds.

With street food, you can enjoy anything from a Mediterranean twist on the Tex-Mex taco to a Spanish-style paella made with ostrich chorizo, or chocolate chilli ganache cupcakes, chia seed smoothies, sweet and sour beef and kimchi sliders, wheatgrass and ginger shots, rooibos soft serve… and so on. The options are as endless as a chef’s imagination.

No wonder it’s so popular. Any decent market nowadays has its fair share of souped-up soup kitchens – think ramen noodles in pulled pork broth. An interesting turn of events sees food that was conventionally pegged as fodder fit only for the street – like hot dogs – finding its way back onto menus in restaurants. There are even whole festivals dedicated to street food.

Which is why the Good Food & Wine Show has conveniently gathered the country’s finest street food vendors into one exciting “fast fine” arena just for the show. Here, you’ll be able to sit and enjoy a range of meals and treats from SA’s best stalls and food trucks.

There’ll be a whole world of flavour, literally, with Dutch snacks from the eponymous Kroket, heavenly hamburgers from, well, Heavenly Hamburgers, shawarmas, real Durban curry, Namaqualand Biltong, German Wurst, Chinese dim sum, sushi, Tunisian cuisine, Malay cuisine and so much more at the Cape Town show. It’s definitely sunny on our side of the street!

Food Trucks and Street Food to tickle your taste buds at our Johannesburg Good Food and Wine Show are:

Aldoukan Importer of Lebanese Food

Carmien Tea

Homemade Thai Cuisine

House of Nuts

Italian Salumi

La Mexican Co