The Boom of Asian Street Food in America

In recent years, Asian street food, primarily from South East Asia, has become extremely popular with the American population. While Asian street food had been hard to find outside of ethnic communities, say twenty years ago, this is not the truth now. Asian street food has become insanely popular and not just with the young generation either. This popularity has spread all throughout America and shows no sign of declining. Asian street food has been able to gain popularity in part due to the influence of Asian food in everyday America, the global Asian culture craze, and the emergence of social media. 

The first factor that set the stage for Asian street food popularity was the fact that Asian food had already been incorporated into American life. According to PA Food’s article, “The Story of How Asian Food Conquered America”, Chinese food started becoming popular to non-Chinese Americans around the end of the 1800s; before that, Chinese food in America was primarily consumed by the Chinese. “The Story of How Asian Food Conquered America” details how Americans started to consume more Chinese food when “many Americans saw an increase in wages and wanted to try more exotic dishes”. After Chinese food gained traction in American society, many other Asian cuisines got their foot in the door too. Soon, PA Food’s article explains, Japanese food gained popularity as well, primarily with sushi. Many other cuisines like Thai also started to make a name for themselves in America. This food globalization would soon be joined with the second factor that launched Asian street food into stardom–the Asian Culture Craze.

In this article, the Asian Culture Craze refers to the time in which Asian culture became exceedingly consumed and popularized. No one can deny the power of media and entertainment in the “Asian Culture Craze”. Asian culture had become trendy, desirable even, starting around the time when martial arts movies became popular in America. At this time, many films portrayed Asian culture in a positive, albeit stereotypical, way. This first wave of Asian popularity was followed by the milk tea rage that has morphed to become a part of everyday American life, according to Maxwell Belssen’s “Steeped in History: The Journey of Milk Tea from Asia to America”. Milk tea planted the seed of Asian street food in many Americans’ minds. It was, for most, their first Asian street food experience. It is undeniable that milk tea rejuvenated Asian food’s reputation as “trendy”. In the most recent years, Korean culture/media and anime have wretched open the door to Asian culture, flooding America with a craze for Asian culture. And that’s when Asian street food stepped up. 

Social media was invented in 1997 but it was more modern social media that set off the Asian street food craze. Modern social media has become both a market place and a trend starter. Food bloggers started to pick up on Asian culture’s popularity. More and more pictures of Asian street food started popping up on all social media outlets. Asian street food was seen as “exotic” or “novel” as it had just started to show up on some Americans’ radar. This “novelness” meant that these posts about Asian street food would gain lots of likes and comments. Seeing this trend, many other social media users started to hop on the Asian street food train. Couple that with the addictiveness of social media and the audience rushed out to buy or find Asian street food. Smelling a new business opportunity, many Asian franchises that specialize in Asian street food started to spread all around America. Asian Americans already there opened up shop, catering to America’s love for new foods and cuisines. By 2025, Asian street food had become a phenomenon with little sign of slowing down. 

So who’s steering this giant ship? Who is the face of Asian street in America? It’s hard to tell.  Korean cuisine seems to be the most popular Asian street food cuisine in America at the time. Korean corn dogs, gimbap, tteokbokki, and hotteok have all made their way out of the Korean-American community. Yet, at the same time, Japanese street food is just as influential. Almost all young Americans know mochi, takoyaki, gyoza, and takoyaki. Recently, Chinatowns have become popular tourist destinations, especially for food. Popular Chinese street foods include bao, tanghulu and many others. Therefore, it is hard to name a definitive, most influential Asian street food cuisine. Yet, it is no question that primarily, it is East Asian street food that is the most common in America. However, other Asian cuisines are budding in terms of American popularity. Specifically, Thai, Vietnamese, and Indian street food has gained the attention of many foodies. In upcoming years, these cuisines could reach the same popularity as East Asian street foods. 

For now, the Asian street food market shows no sign of slowing down. In upcoming years, America can expect Asian street food to become ever more creative and popular. Though at this time, the face of Asian street food is East Asia, this could easily change in the next few years. What was thought to be a quick fad has become a part of American lives. The boom of Asian street food has just started. Get ready for a tasty ride.