International Street Food tasting in London
For our students studying GCSE Food and Nutrition in Year 10, or the Leiths Extended Certificate in the Sixth Form, our International Street Food tasting in London is always a big hit, and not just because food always tastes so much better when someone else is cooking it!
The trip this term to Shoreditch was rich in history, culture and culinary creations and was led by our tour guide from Walk Eat Talk Eat. Starting on the very edge of Spitalfields Market, we walked along Fournier Street which used to house many of the French Huguenots who settled in the late 1600's, bringing their silk weaving skills with them. We could see for ourselves the glazed lofts under which the weaving took place, in a street which is home to some of the best examples of early Georgian town houses in Britain!
Moving on to the Bangladeshi area of London - more often known as Brick Lane - we tasted savoury and sweet snacks from one of the popular food shops selling world-wide cuisine. Further down, we visited a shop run by a trader from Ghana who had originally started up her business as a stall in the famous Brick Lane Market. Her wonderful displays of truffles were accompanied by bowls and tables made from the wood of the actual cocoa trees themselves.
Further on we explored the Jewish quarter, which grew in size in the 1880's when thousands of Jews resettled from Europe. The food we tried here was incredible: salt beef bagels, or beigels, which have their origins in the Jewish communities of Poland, and traditional mini doughnuts filled with plum and cinnamon.
Our last stop was for some comparatively modern peach and strawberry bubble tea, which originated from Taiwan in the early 1980's. We then wandering through the varied stalls of Spitalfields Market, listening to our tour guide who was extremely knowledgeable not only about the food that each area had to offer but also the history of Shoreditch, the buildings and their stories, the street art and the rich culture that the range of migrants have brought to this part of London.
A gallery of our visit is available here.