Everyone craves a late-night snack occasionally, but every country and culture puts their own spin on midnight mastication. Per Bloomberg, here are some of the most popular up-late snacks from around the world, and we’ve added a few of our favorites to the mix, too.
Chicken Croquettes (Brazil) – Similar to the Spanish dish, which usually has particles of ham instead of shredded chicken, this treat is the best of both worlds: fried on the outside; creamy, gooey on the inside.
Jamón y Queso (Spain) – This sandwich is favorite of late-night vendors catering to the tipsy masses: a French baguette sliced in half, with strips of cured Spanish ham (usually, the most inexpensive kind) and triangles of any white Spanish cheese. Sometimes, there’s a dot of olive oil in there, too.
Hot Dogs with Mashed Potatoes and Onions (Sweden) – Per Bloomberg, “tunnbrodsrulle” is a favorite nordic late-night snack consisting of a hot dog wrapped in a Swedish flatbread bun, garnished with mashed potatoes, onions, and shrimp salad.
Takoyaki (Japan) – If you can’t actually travel to Tokyo, you can also try to find for this favorite, late-night Japanese dish in Smorgasburg in Brooklyn. Takoyaki is a cooked, battered ball, filled with octopus, onion, and ginger. You’ll burn the roof of your mouth, but it’ll be the best burn you ever felt.
Cantonese Clams with XO Sauce (Australia) – This snack is a staple in Sydney’s Chinatown, particularly at a restaurant called Golden Century. It’s very simple: local clams, doused in XO sauce (a super-spicy seafood sauce), with crispy noodles. Sounds good enough to fly halfway around the world for.
Chicken/Pork Souvlaki (New York City) – If you ever find yourself in the Astoria, Queens, neighborhood at, say, 2 a.m., you’ll smell the vendors cooking up souvlaki on the side of the road. A Greek specialty, it’s basically grilled meat on a stick. Wash down it savory goodness with the sweetness from a cold can of soda.
Pork and Potato Stew (Korea) – Called Gamjatang, this comfort food staple of street vendors consists of spiced pork bone and potatoes steeped in a hot broth.
Chips and Cheese (United Kingdom) – You can find this treat all over Europe, but kebab counters, which have minimal seating and serve at all hours of the day, will make this treat for night owls. It’s about as barebones as you can get: a styrofoam box piled high with thick-cut french fries (i.e. chips) and a handful of cold, shredded mozzarella (or other) cheese on top. After a few shakes of salt and vinegar, the box is closed up. By the time you pay up and open the box, boom! The cheese is melted.
—additional reporting by Will Levith, RealClearLife
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