Street food: 600 addresses where to go without fail

The Gambero Rosso Street Food Guide photographs a sector in constant ascent of quality. Many new features this year. The list of Regional Champions

By now they are a real army, approx 25.000 between itinerants on four wheels and food gazebos that revolve exclusively around the events. It is the people of Street Food who occupy an important role in the human economy, in the bringing into play of important cultural, identity and ethnic values. Often, in fact, the products to be consumed on the street are local or regional specialities, as in the case of pani câ meusa Palermo, the 'O pere e' o musso Neapolitan, the focaccia messinese or fish cock of the Finnish Lake District.

In other cases, however, the products do not have a particular cultural link with the territory in which they are offered, or, despite having possessed one in the past, they no longer keep it, because it has now been lost following their diffusion outside the areas of origin (as is the case with pizza and kebab). In some cases, however, the diffusion outside the original cultural boundaries, even wide, has not erased the ethnic and identity connotation.

In short, Street Food is a gastronomic reality that in recent years has achieved levels of quality that were unthinkable in the past and performs a real social function.

And that a guide is well worth it to go without fail to refresh yourself during the lunch break outdoors as an alternative to pizzerias and restaurants, or for those who want to indulge in a quick snack throughout the day.

The seventh edition of the is dedicated to street food enthusiasts Gambero Rosso Street Food Guide, created in collaboration with Theresianer and Zerocinquanta, the only national map that guides readers between the ancient Italian gastronomic traditions and the most innovative projects in the sector.

“A phenomenon that shows no sign of diminishing, on the contrary: with all the vicissitudes of the last few months, it can be said that street food is in better shape than ever. Why? Probably - answer the editors of the Guide - the concreteness and dynamism of the sector have made it easier to adapt to the thousands of health restrictions that have followed due to the pandemic. Street food is by definition to be taken away, easy to transport and quick to eat, it does not require great care and many contacts, in short, with the times that run, more topical than ever. At a time when we try to play it safe and want comfort, street food specialties, deeply rooted in our food culture, are one of the winning choices".

In the pages of the guide you will find a total of approx 600 addresses that sift through, region by region, the thousand delicacies of Italy. Some of the most interesting recipes are told in boxes with indications on where to best enjoy them: from tortelli alla lastra to panzerotti, from pizza with mortadella to Sardinian panadas.

There have been many interesting innovations in the last year – underlines Pina Sozio – new formats that hybridize the concept of classic catering (such as the drive thru of the Bob Alchimia pizzeria in Spicchi di Montepaone, near Catanzaro), venues based on a careful and supportive supply chain (a example the super project of Cime di Rapa Street Food in Lecce) or excellent “ethnic” brands. A trend, the latter, constantly growing in recent years in large cities

And then there are the great chefs, increasingly involved in the sector: in addition to the Street Food da Chef award - which this year goes to Matias Perdomo with the Empanadas del Flaco format, launched in the midst of the pandemic - there are well-known names who have opened in the last months of activities dedicated to street food, from Antonino Cannavacciuolo (with Banco, dedicated to Neapolitan fries) to Diego Rossi. In addition to those like Moreno Cedroni, he is a real forerunner with his Anikò, the Senigallia kiosk that has now made the history of "gourmand" street food.

For the creation of the Street Food Guide, Gambero Rosso was supported by Theresianer and Zerocinquanta beer expressions capable of supporting any type of preparation, enhancing each time its characteristics and peculiarities.