Houston Street Food - Part 1 - Ivan Teh

Houston Street Food - Part 1

Houston Street Food is considered to be one of the best in the United States Of America, and the city is known as the 'dining out' capital, due to the wide variety of food and reasonably low prices at most restaurants here. Being located near the south of the North America continent, Houston, in the state of Texas, is known for its Rotisserie, Barbecue, Latin American cuisine, and Tex-Mex cuisine.

Barbecue Pork Ribs

Food in Houston can be found in kiosks within malls, in cafes, mid-range eateries or fine restaurants. Surprisingly, food trucks aren't that common in Houston due to difficulty in getting operating licenses. The wide diversity of food available means no one meal is considered 'typical'. Ingredients that are commonly used include beef, bread, rice, corn, potatoes, chili, tomatoes, onions, beans, molasses, sugar, chicken, avocado, lime, cheese, pumpkin, pecan nuts, blueberries, strawberries, lettuce and catfish.

Rotisserie and Barbecue are extremely popular in Houston, and the state of Texas is traditionally considered one of the foremost pioneers of barbecue. The 2 most popular styles of Barbecue in Texas is the East Texas style, where meat is sauce marinated and slow cooked over hickory wood; and Central Texas style, where meat is dry rubbed with spices and slow smoked through indirect heat over pecan wood or oak wood.

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Similar to the Full English Breakfast, the Full American Breakfast / Scrambled Eggs Breakfast is popular in Houston, Texas, United States Of America, eaten during breakfast hours throughout the week. The Full American Breakfast / Scrambled Eggs Breakfast consists of a medley of grilled or pan-fried ingredients, including some or all of the following; crispy pork streaky bacon rashers with smoky meaty salty savoury fatty flavour, tender smoked pork ham with meaty salty savoury flavour, crispy hashbrowns with starchy salty savoury flavour, fluffy soft scrambled eggs with milky eggy sweet flavour, juicy tomatoes with vegetal sweet smoky flavour, snappy juicy grilled sausages (pork, chicken, or beef) with smoky meaty savoury salty herbal flavour, soft baked beans in tomato sauce with vegetal earthy sweet flavour, or crisp sautéed spinach with vegetal sweet salty flavour. The unique American addition is a stack of fluffy soft buttermilk pancakes dressed with sticky maple syrup and creamy salted butter on the side, carrying bready floral salty sweet flavour. The uniquely Houston addition is the inclusion of juicy strawberries or blueberries, which are abundant here, lending fruity sweet flavour.

Full American Breakfast / Scrambled Eggs Breakfast

Full American Breakfast / Scrambled Eggs Breakfast

Full American Breakfast / Scrambled Eggs Breakfast

A classic American dessert, the Apple Pie is a pie with a double crust (top and bottom) pastry made from all-purpose flour, salt, butter, and water, then filled with chunks of green apples (usually Granny Smith apples) coated with cinnamon and white sugar, and baked. Usually served across the United States Of America with vanilla ice cream and whipped cream, dusted with icing sugar. In Houston and throughout Texas, Apple Pie may also be served with strawberries or blueberries. The Apple Pie will have a flaky crumbly texture to the pie crust, while the spiced apple filling is juicy crunchy tender in texture, together carrying smoky bready fruity sweet sour spice flavour. The saying 'As American as Apple Pie' means that something that is typically American in its nature.

Apple Pie

Apple Pie

Apple Pie

Barbecue Pork Ribs are typically associated with the East Texas style of barbecue. It features pork ribs (baby back ribs, spare ribs, or rib tips) basted in a thick barbecue sauce. East Texas barbecue sauce is traditionally made from fresh tomatoes, tomato ketchup, salt, brown sugar or white sugar, apple cider vinegar, worcestershire sauce, cumin powder, black pepper, and chili powder. It has a tangy sour sweet savoury herbal spice flavour, with a thick sticky texture. The Barbecue Pork Ribs are marinated with this barbecue sauce and slow cooked (usually over hickory wood) till the meat is infused, resulting in a tender fall-off-the-bone texture with bold smoky meaty savoury tangy sour sweet herbal spice flavour.

Barbecue Pork Ribs

Barbecue Pork Ribs

Barbecue Pork Ribs

The Beer Bud Light is a low-calorie light beer, formerly known as Budweiser Light, brewed by Anheuser-Busch in Pleasantville Area, Houston, Texas, United States Of America. It has a pale golden straw colour, with aromas and tastes of barley, spring water, corn, and wheat. The body is clean, crisp, and light, with grainy bitter sweet flavour, and a fast finish.

Beer Bud Light

Beer Bud Light

Beer Bud Light

Biscuits And Gravy is a popular breakfast dish, and features biscuits made from all purpose flour, white sugar, baking powder, salt, butter, honey, and buttermilk. The biscuits will have a soft crumbly texture with buttery honeyed floral sweet savoury flavour. The gravy is made with cooked sausage (beef or pork), butter, all purpose flour, milk, salt, herbs (thyme and/or rosemary), and black pepper. The gravy will have a creamy thick texture, with milky savoury salty sweet flavour. Biscuits And Gravy is a regional dish of the South, and is a soulful comfort dish.

Biscuits And Gravy

Biscuits And Gravy

Biscuits And Gravy

Similarly, the Biscuit Honey Butter is made with all purpose flour, white sugar, baking powder, salt, butter, honey, and buttermilk. The difference is the light brushing of honey over the surface of the Biscuit Honey Butter. The biscuits will have a soft crumbly texture with buttery honeyed floral sweet savoury flavour.

Biscuit Honey Butter

Biscuit Honey Butter

The Bread Roll, also known as a Dinner Roll, is a small oblong individual loaf of bread, served as a side to a meal. While ingredients used to make a Bread Roll can vary widely, some of the more well known and common ingredients include all purpose flour, yeast, chicken eggs, butter, salt, white sugar, water, milk, cinnamon, and honey. The Bread Roll will have a soft fluffy chewy texture with bready sweet savoury flavour, and if toasted, will carry an additional smoky aroma with crisp edges.

Bread Roll

Bread Roll

Bread Roll

Bread Roll

Buffalo Wings are popular in the United States Of America. Buffalo Wings feature unbreaded bone-in chicken wingettes or drumettes, marinated with white vinegar, cayenne pepper hot sauce, and butter, then deep-fried. Optional ingredients for the marinade include worcestershire sauce and garlic powder. Served with celery sticks, carrot sticks, and blue cheese dressing sauce (which is consumed by pouring on the chicken rather than dipping) or ranch sauce, Buffalo Wings have a tender juicy slick chew to texture, with bold smoky meaty sour savoury spice flavour.

Buffalo Wings

A classic American diner food, a Burger or Hamburger is a subset of a Sandwich, defined as a ground meat patty, usually beef (known as a hamburger patty), between 2 burger buns, along with lettuce, tomatoes, dill pickles, white onions or yellow onions, cheese (cheddar, American, Swiss, provolone, mozzarella), and condiments. The type of buns used include wheat bread, English muffins, brioche bread, potato bread, multigrain bread, or sesame seed bread. Other kinds of fillings include streaky pork bacon, chicken patty, Alaskan pollock fish patty, salmon fish patty, pork patty, shrimp / prawn patty, eggs (scrambled, omelette, sunny-side up, or fried), mushrooms (portobello or button), sausage patty (beef or chicken), spinach, rocket leaves / arugula, sauerkraut, pineapple, beetroot, black olives, jalapenos, or avocado. Condiments include tomato ketchup, sweet chili sauce, yellow mustard or dijon mustard, barbecue sauce, chili con carne, thousand island dressing, or mayonnaise. A Burger will have a combination of fluffy soft crunchy tender crisp creamy textures, with bready meaty salty savoury vegetal sweet sour flavour. Served with fluffy crisp shoestring potatoes French fries with starchy salty savoury flavour. The versatility of a Burger means any combination of ingredients can be termed a burger, so long as they are stacked between 2 burger buns.

Burger

Burger

Burger

Burger

Buttered Corn is a common side dish served along with meals, and features corn stripped from the kernel, and quickly tossed in butter. Sometimes, bacon, bell pepper / capsicum, onions or tomatoes are included for flavour.

Buttered Corn

Buttered Corn

Buttered Corn

Cheesecake is a dessert cake made with soft fresh cheese (cottage cheese, cream cheese, or ricotta), chicken eggs, white sugar, salt, vanilla essence, lemon zest, sour cream, and butter, set over a base made from crushed biscuit crumbs (graham cracker, shortbread biscuits, or digestive biscuits). The Cheesecake will have a dense soft firm texture with the base being crumbly grainy, carrying cheesy milky floral biscuity sweet flavour. While it can be served chilled and eaten on its own, it's also commonly paired with thick fruit compotes or sauces, such as strawberry compote or blueberry compote, lending a fruity sour sweet flavour. For greater indulgence, a dollop of fluffy whipped cream or creamy vanilla ice cream, both with milky sweet flavour, may be added on top.

Cheesecake

Cheesecake

Cheesecake

Chili Con Queso is a side dish or appetizer, comprising melted cheese, cream or milk, paprika, and chili peppers, resulting in a thick creamy smooth texture with cheesy salty savoury spice flavour. The melted cheese used in Chili Con Queso can either be American cheese, velveeta, monterey jack, cream cheese, queso chihuahua, or queso asadero. Optional ingredients may sometimes be added, including white onion, onion powder, pico de gallo / salsa fresca, black beans, salt, cumin powder, guacamole, minced beef, minced pork, tomatoes, or coriander. Always served warm, and usually accompanied by tortilla chips, Chili Con Queso originated from the northern Mexican state of Chihuahua, after which the iconic small dog breed was named.

Chili Con Queso

Chili Con Queso

Chili Con Queso

The Cocktail Margarita is made from a blend of tequila, triple sec orange liqueur, lime juice or lemon juice, white sugar, and water, often served with salt on the rim of the glass, garnished with a lime wedge. Preparing a Cocktail Margarita can either be shaken, stirred, blended with ice, or straight up without ice. A Cocktail Margarita has a thin smooth texture, with bright zesty tangy sour fruity sweet bitter boozy flavour.

Cocktail Margarita

Cocktail Margarita

Cocktail Margarita

Cocktail Margarita

The Egg Omelette is typically round or oval in shape, served either with an open face style or a closed folded style. The more common fillings include some or all of the following ingredients, such as tender pork ham, gooey cheddar cheese, bouncy sautéed mushrooms (button, portobello, or cremini), crisp sautéed spinach with vegetal sweet salty flavour, crumbly cheese with milky sweet salty flavour (feta, cottage, cheddar, monterey jack, or parmesan), or juicy tomatoes with vegetal sweet smoky flavour. The egg omelette has a fluffy gooey crisp texture, carrying eggy sweet savoury salty cheesy peppery spice flavour.

Egg Omelette

Egg Omelette

Egg Omelette

Tex-Mex cuisine is unique to this region. Fajita Beef Chimichanga is a deep-fried burrito of grilled beef wrapped in a flour tortilla and covered with melted cheese. Refried Beans consists of mashed beans that have been baked, or fried just once, making its name a misnomer. Guacamole is a popular condiment, made with mashed fresh avocado, onions and salt. Sometimes, lime juice, tomatoes or chili is added.

Fajita Beef Chimichanga With Seasoned Rice, Refried Beans And Guacamole

Fajita Beef Chimichanga With Seasoned Rice, Refried Beans And Guacamole

Fajita Beef Chimichanga With Seasoned Rice, Refried Beans And Guacamole

The Herb Roasted Chicken is slow cooked Rotisserie style with fresh herbs, which imparts a lovely flavour to the meat while keeping it moist and tender.

Herb Roasted Chicken

Herb Roasted Chicken

Hot Chocolate in the United States Of America is typically a thin but flavourful cocoa drink, which is less dense than the Hot Chocolate from Europe. The Hot Chocolate carries a medium chocolatey bitter sweet flavour.

Hot Chocolate

Hot Chocolate

Hot Chocolate

Hot Chocolate

Lemonade is a simple but refreshing drink made with lemon juice, white sugar, and water, served chilled. Lemonade has a zesty tangy sour sweet flavour, and is often home-made, although street kiosks and fast-food outlets also sell this.

Lemonade

Lemonade

Lemonade

Mashed Potato, also known simply as Mash, is a common side dish to accompany a meal. It comprises boiled or steamed potatoes with their skins removed, mashed together with milk, butter, salt, and black pepper, optionally dressed with spring onions. The variety used for Mashed Potato is usually a high-starch low-moisture potato, such as Russet potato, Idaho potato, King Edward potato, or Yukon Gold potato. The Mashed Potato should have a thick creamy smooth texture with starchy savoury buttery salty flavour. It's typically served with a rich brown gravy which lends salty savoury flavour.

Mashed Potato

Mashed Potato

Mashed Potato

Nachos are a popular Mexican snack comprising a basket of baked or deep-fried tortilla chips, that are served together with a variety of toppings, condiments, or dipping sauces. This may include meat (beef, chicken, pork, fish), vegetables (chili peppers, lettuce, tomatoes, olives, pickled jalapenos), condiments (salsa, guacamole, sour cream, melted cheese), rice, or beans. Created by, and named after, Mexican restaurateur Ignacio "Nacho" Anaya, the traditional Nachos consist of freshly deep-fried tortilla chips topped with melted cheddar cheese and pickled jalapenos, has a crisp crunchy juicy gooey texture with grainy salty savoury cheesy sour spice flavour.

Nachos

Nachos

Nachos

Popcorn was popularized in the United States Of America, and as large parts of Texas grow corn as an agricultural crop, Popcorn is plentiful here. In Houston, Popcorn is typically sold in giant bags, and is normally lightly buttered or salted, with a crisp crunchy texture and mild grainy buttery salty sweet flavour. While Popcorn is consumed as a snack by most, it's sometimes eaten as a meal by the less-well-off due to its affordability, high dietary fibre and fat, which provides energy. Popcorn is also used as a Christmas decoration in North America, threaded on strings on hung on trees or walls.

Popcorn

Popcorn

Popcorn

Pulled Pork is a Southern style of barbecue where pork shoulder is marinated with an East Texas barbecue sauce (fresh tomatoes, tomato ketchup, salt, brown sugar or white sugar, apple cider vinegar, worcestershire sauce, cumin powder, black pepper, and chili powder) with optional yellow mustard and thyme, and then slow cooked, which results in the meat being tender enough that pulling it causes it to fall apart, hence the name. Pulled Pork has a tender chewy texture, with bold smoky meaty savoury tangy sour sweet herbal spice flavour.

Pulled Pork

Pulled Pork

Pulled Pork

Condiments served as part of a Mexican or Tex-Mex meal typically include Salsa Tomato, Jalapenos, Sour Cream and Guacamole.

Salsa Tomato, Jalapenos, Sour Cream

Condiments that usually accompany a Texas meal include Mayonnaise, Mustard, Tomato Ketchup, Barbecue Sauce, Hot Sauce (Tabasco) or Ranch Sauce.

Mayonnaise, Mustard, Tomato Ketchup

Cheetos is a brand of cheese flavoured cornmeal snacks made in United States Of America. There are over 20 different versions of Cheetos, but the spicy versions are more popular in Houston.

Cheetos

Beer Ziegenbock is a locally brewed Houston beer, styled as 'brewed by Texans for Texans'. Ziegenbock is only available in Texas, and has an amber colour, a grainy aroma, a sweet, smooth taste with a slightly bitter finish and little complexity. Ziegenbock actually means 'Billy Goat' in German.

Beer Ziegenbock

The Beef Steak Strip Loin is a common choice for meals in Houston, and features a strip loin done according to your tastes.

Beef Steak Strip Loin

Candy from Houston. Hot Tamales is a red-coloured spicy cinnamon gummy candy. Milk Duds is a round milk chocolate and caramel candy. Junior Mints is a round candy containing mint filling inside a chocolate shell.

Candy Hot Tamales, Milk Duds, Junior Mints

The Cheese Platter in Houston features made in American cheese, such as American cheese, Monterey Jack cheese, Maytag Blue cheese, Cream cheese and Colby-Jack cheese.

Cheese Platter

A common breakfast item sold in many small cafes, the Croissant Ham And Cheese is popular with locals.

Croissant Ham And Cheese

Santa Fe Chicken Soup is named after the city of Santa Fe, which was formally part of Texas, but now belongs to New Mexico. Santa Fe Chicken Soup is a thin but robust soup / broth consisting of chicken chunks, onion, garlic, celery, chicken stock, tomatoes, jalapeno, beans, white rice, cumin, salt, pepper, chili, corn, coriander and cilantro. Santa Fe Chicken Soup is normally slow cooked, and has a bright reddish orange colour, with a rich, deep taste.

Santa Fe Chicken Soup

Santa Fe Chicken Soup

Seasoned Rice is a savoury rice served as a side dish to a meal, and is made from white rice, butter, onions, chicken stock, salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, soy sauce, garlic powder and parsley. Sometimes, vegetables such as celery, peas, carrots or corn is added.

Seasoned Rice

Soda from Texas. Sierra Mist is a lemon lime flavoured soft drink, while Dr. Pepper is a local Texas soda which has a taste like bark, akin to drinking a syrup mixture or a medicinal mixture.