HAVE FOOD, WILL TRAVEL
AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 FOOD TRUCKS: EASY AND TASTY RECIPES FROM CHEFS ON THE ROAD
WORDS BY EMMA TAYLOR
Meet the chefs innovating street food through new flavour combinations inspired by heritage, travel and local ingredients. Around the World in 80 Food Trucks is a creative culinary tour exploring the worldwide gourmet food truck phenomenon.
The vibrancy and liveliness of festivals and pop-up events are intoxicating—the energetic chatter, laughter and a sense of community. Rows of food trucks create mini streets as bright colours and witty signs demand attention. The excitement and anticipation of choosing what to eat: lamb sizzling on a grill, spice infusions, the linger of garlic in the air and freshly baked breads that smell like Sunday mornings. Then, once you’ve chosen your dish and it has been freshly prepared before your eyes, you gather around to eat. This is exactly what Around the World in 80 Food Trucks captures.
As I wander past the shelves of the food section at the Ballarat Library, I run my fingers along the spines of the books. A bubble gum pink spine catches my eye, and I pull out Lonely Planet Food’s Around the World in 80 Food Trucks: Easy & Tasty Recipes from Chefs on the Road—a gorgeous mint blue hardcover coffee table book. I settle into a chair nearby and become lost in its pages—this is wanderlust-meets-gourmand heaven. Categorised by geographical location, this book takes you on a tour of the food trucks of Europe, Africa and the Middle East, Asia, Oceania, South America and North America. Capturing the spirit and stories of food truck culture, this book exudes the passion for food and flavours the chefs possess and live to share with others.
The food truck culture we know today has evolved from traditional street food stalls that can be traced back to ancient civilisations. The gourmet food truck phenomenon, however, is thought to have been sparked in 2008 by Kogi, a Los Angeles BBQ food truck that offered Korean short ribs in tacos, fusing together Korean and Mexican street food. Since then, gourmet
‘The food truck culture we know today has evolved from traditional street food stalls that can be traced back to ancient civilisations.’
food trucks have continued to pop up all over the world in a bid to deliver modern adaptations of traditional street food and fusions of various cuisines. Food trucks have the added appeal of affordability—you get to experience gourmet food at street food prices. They can be found along city streets, at specialised sites, festivals and pop-up events. Many have become so popular that their owners have established permanent restaurants in addition to their nomadic food truck kitchens. Contemporary food truck culture is epitomised by a desire to innovate and by a love of community.
Food is about connectivity—it brings people together. Food trucks—as a kind of nomadic restaurant—are attracting people looking to experience the diversity of their local food scene in spaces that invite social engagement. Untethered from the constraints and expenses of owning a bricks-and-mortar café or restaurant, these chefs are embracing the freedom to chase their food dreams and to break the rules and boundaries of their profession.
This idea of connectivity is extended in the structure of the book, where the chefs of each of the eighty food trucks featured have chosen their favourite recipe to share with the world. The recipes reflect innovation and tradition and ‘feature everything from classics and family recipes to fusion concoctions inspired by travel experiences,’ explains commissioning editor Christina Webb. The book acts as both guide and invitation; including recipes allows us to travel the world figuratively, to experience and taste such a diverse and distinct array of flavours for ourselves at home.
This sense of invitation is amplified by the vibrant and candid images throughout the book. Combining food close-ups with smiling images of chefs and streetside vistas welcomes us into the world of each food truck. The pictures reveal the culinary style and vibe of the food truck as well as the personalities and ethos of the people behind them. And there is no shortage of characters within. The chefs of Soufra in Beirut, Lebanon, are all women from the nearby Palestinian refugee camp whose msakhan the book labels ‘transcendent’. Japadog in Vancouver, Canada, is led by a husband-and-wife team who serve hybrid Canadian Japanese cuisine (think: bratwurst with daikon oroshi). Mama Tahina in Auckland, New Zealand, combines owners Marc and Cecilia’s travels through the Middle East and Africa with local fresh produce in dishes like halloumi kebabs and vegan schnitzels.
From savoury to sweet, this book has it all. It is about the stories of people who have a passion for food and a desire to share that passion with the world. It celebrates the collision of culture, tradition and innovation, as each of the owners share insights into the history of their food truck, their culinary inspirations and food stories. This book is a tour of culinary diversity and the innovations that continue to transform our experiences of food, at home and abroad. Experience the flavours for yourself by following Christina Webb’s advice and ‘truck in’!
Around the World in 80 Food Trucks: Easy and Tasty Recipes from Chefs on the Road
Lonely Planet Food
Available in all good bookstores